‘Squid Game: The Challenge’ has been outed for how much the show paid its contestants to compete in the real-life version of the hit show, ‘Squid Game.’
The new reality game show is a real-life version of the hit Netflix series, in which over 400 individuals risk their lives for a chance to win life-changing money.
In the hit series, contestants agreed to participate in the Squid Games, but what they didn’t realize was that if they lost the game, they would be killed. After the success of the Netflix show, the company decided to turn it into a real-life game show (without the murdering part, of course).
More than 100,000 applicants applied to take part in the real-life version of the series for a chance to win $4.56 million (£3.63 million).
‘Squid Game: The Challenge’ Contestant Reveals How Much They Got Paid
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Radhika Srinivasan, a contestant on the new show, took to social media to out the show, stating that the only individual who earned money was the winner.
“[We earned] zero. Zero GBP, zero USD, zero rupees, zero Yuan, zero Pesos. Zero. Literally zero!” Srinivasan said, adding, “It was all or nothing and we were really in there acting like that for nothing because the stakes were so high., it was $4.65 million.”
Although they did not get paid for being on the show, the company did pay for their travel expenses. “But what I will tell you is that the production covered all of the transport, that literally is all the international flights to come into London,” she revealed in the TikTok video.
@radhikathedon
Replying to @ＦＡＩＴＨ 💫 #squidgamethechallenge #squidgameparticipant #netflixsquidgame #squidgamechallenge #netflixreality #redlightgreenlight #player352 #Sgtc
♬ original sound – Radhika
“I don’t live too far from London but they organized a taxi, a train, and literally anything you could need for getting to the location and also getting back home,” the contestant added.
Contestants On ‘Squid Game: The Challenge’ Create Special Bond
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Although they did not get paid for being on the game show, the company provided a “bum bag” of essentials, including a toothbrush and toothpaste.
“So, yeah, we went in there with the clothes they gave us, a bum bag full of toiletries and essentials.” Srinivasan, who was contestant number 352, was eliminated during the battleship round after her team’s boat was sunk.
“Toothbrush, toothpaste, I had my contact lenses. That’s all I needed. And we left with group trauma, I guess,” she said before adding, “I’m just joking, we left with so many crazy, extreme abstract memories.”
Although the experience was taxing on the contestants’ mental health, number 352 said she would definitely do the show again. “I think that’s the best way to put it but it was such a wild experience, and I would not take it back for the world! Would I do it again for free? One hundred percent.”
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Brandon Riegg, Netflix’s vice president of the unscripted series, previously said that “‘Squid Game’ took the world by storm with [director Hwang Dong-hyuk’s] captivating story and iconic imagery,” which is why they decided to make a real-life version of the show.
The finale of “Squid Game: The Challenge” airs on Netflix next week. Contestant numbers 016, 287, and 451 are the three remaining. A second season of “Squid Game” is currently in the works.