Children’s games, death by ink and a multimillion jackpot: The world of the Squid Game reality TV show

Published

2 years ago

November 22, 2023

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Reality TV has undergone plenty of changes in the last decade – from the end of stalwart Noughties shows, the much-needed emphasis on duty of care towards participants, and the genre’s pipeline to social media influencing.

Now Squid Game: The Challenge has landed on our screens and turned trusted formats upside down again.

Some 456 contestants from across the globe compete in children’s games based on Netflix‘s smash-hit South Korean thriller for a $4.56m jackpot (£3.64m) – thought to be the largest single cash prize ever in a television show.

From the start, the show proved controversial after three contestants received medical treatment after the game Red Light, Green Light was filmed in Bedfordshire during a cold snap in January.

Executive producer Tim Harcourt, creative director at Studio Lambert, said the team had taken “all the appropriate measures” before filming.

“Some people anonymously were disgruntled and annoyed that they had spent a lot of time playing that game in the cold and then were eliminated. And that’s understandable.”

But he says the challenging conditions were to be expected with such a massive jackpot.

“It is $4.56 million and Netflix is never just going to give that away easily.”

And with such a massive prize comes massive responsibility for the producers.

John Hay, chief executive of The Garden production company, said the team was “absolutely scrupulous – doubly so, given the size of the prize, about judging who moved and who hadn’t [in the Red Light, Green Light game].

“We had a whole team of adjudicators behind the scenes,” he said.

“These were people independent of us from a different company, trained lawyers, who would check those movements and we had those people with us all the way through the entire series.”

Hay said the jackpot prize was one of the most significant decisions that Netflix made about the show because “it just flips the whole thing”.

“Instead of being driven by the fear of death, it’s driven by the sort of scale of this opportunity.

“It turns out that’s just as powerful a motor for stories as in the drama. The people who went into that set lived in these six soundstages. The ones who made it to the finals were there for 16 days.

“They were chasing this huge prize. It felt like the stakes felt suitably high. And I think that drove some of the reactions to it in the course of the game,” Hay said.

And those reactions were sometimes powerful. The show feels more extreme and more challenging than any recent reality show game. One contestant appeared to be close to vomiting from the pressure of making a decision that would ultimately lead to his elimination.

“We had to accept that that immersion [in the game] would put people under quite a lot of pressure and it could be stressful. And that’s something that we would talk about [with contestants],” Harcourt said.

“We really take care as they exit the game to chat to them and allow them to process everything that they felt and to realise that it’s all fine now and that was a game and they were playing under pressure.

“Those are conversations that continue with the contributors not just straight after the game, but six months after,” Harcourt said, adding that the show’s welfare team is in touch with the contestants now as the show is airing.

Squid Game remains the most popular Netflix series of all time and was streamed by 111 million users in the first 28 days after its release in September 2021.

Hay, whose company The Garden has created shows such as 24 Hours in A&E and Emergency, said Squid Game’s success was both a blessing and a burden.

“Starting from a drama as brilliant and as successful as Squid Game is a huge head start in that there’s already a huge number of people interested and it’s very unusual in being a drama that’s based around a game.

“It’s an ingeniously designed game. There’s a real singularity and originality of the vision in the drama. There’s a world [with] a very distinctive sort of tone and visual style.

“But in another sense, it sets the bar unbelievably high. We knew that we had to match the world. We had to play in the spirit of the game.”

The number of contestants was also a huge logistical challenge. More than 80,000 people applied to be on the show with Hay saying it was a “mammoth task” to whittle it down to just 456 contestants.

“Of course, without a script, we had to find ways of creating the conditions in which some of those dynamics [of the drama] could play out without being able to actually know who our heroes were from the start and then write their storylines,” Hay said.

Harcourt, who has produced other reality shows including The Traitors, The Circle and Naked Attraction, said filming the 456 contestants was “the biggest creative challenge” of the show.

Another challenge was how to eliminate people from the game. In the drama, contestants are immediately killed which led to some creative discussions as to how to adapt it for the reality TV show.

“Quite early on we came upon the idea of the dye pack, which is something that every contestant wore underneath their white t-shirt,” Harcourt said.

“We arrived at black ink. There was a taste issue with blood.”

“We went through a lot of testing to get the dye colour right, the type of dye right. Even the nozzle that sprays the ink out through their T-shirt had to have such a force that it would actually show on that T-shirt and also that they would actually feel it go off so that everybody knew that they were out of the game.”

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So is this new kind of supersized reality TV show with massive stakes the future? Maybe, Harcourt and Hay said.

“I definitely think there will be these big reality shows that broadcasters or streamers will undertake,” Harcourt said.

“Unscripted television is still cheaper to make than some dramas and it can call in just as big an audience when it’s done brilliantly and it’s successful and the audience love it.

“So I don’t think we’re about to see a spate of 100 of these shows being made. But I think that some of these shows that feel bigger in execution and maybe bigger in concept will become a trend.”

Squid Game: The Challenge is on Netflix from today

Entertainment

Norman Foster on ‘incredible’ masterplan for new Manchester United ground

Published

8 hours ago

September 19, 2025

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Norman Foster on 'incredible' masterplan for new Manchester United ground

Football and the royals are two subjects which have always attracted very outspoken fans. Now, aged 90, Lord Norman Foster is attempting to please both.

One of the one of the world’s most important living architects, he is known for being the vision behind some of the world’s most iconic designs – including London’s “Gherkin” building, the Millennium Bridge and the British Museum’s spectacular Great Court.

Arguably, however, two of his most talked about designs are yet to be built.

In June, his firm Foster + Partners was announced as having won the commission to build a national memorial in honour of the late Queen Elizabeth II.

Before that, in March, his firm’s vision for a new 100,000-seater stadium at Old Trafford was revealed, which he describes as “the project of a lifetime”.

‘A galvanising project’

“The fan base is incredible,” Lord Foster said of his excitement at being commissioned to work on the new ground.

For the renowned architect it is a homecoming of sorts, given Lord Foster’s working-class roots, having grown-up in Manchester.

Was he excited to be involved?

“You bet,” he exclaims.

“It’s a galvanising project… and so many things can naturally ride on the back of that sporting, emblematic kind of team.”

Set to cost around £2bn – with its three tall masts acting as a vast umbrella over Old Trafford – the design is part of a larger regeneration project which Lord Foster claims could be completed in five years.

It is described as a “master plan that will create streets, squares, neighbourhoods and connect with the heart of Manchester.”

Asked whether it will feel unlike any other British stadium, he said: “Manchester United is different and therefore its stadium’s going to be different… and better, of course.”

And what of the QEII memorial?

He says his design to remember the late monarch in London’s St James’ Park will be “more of all the good things”.

His plans include a statue of Queen Elizabeth II standing next to her husband Prince Philip, and a semi-glass bridge which is a nod to her wedding tiara.

As for those who’ve questioned whether maintaining its sparkle might prove to be problematic, Lord Foster insists it’ll be “less maintenance, more joy”.

He says his hope is “to address the many millions who traverse that [park], the daily commuters and many tourists, and to make that more human, to make it a better experience and a reminder of the legacy of the most extraordinary long-serving monarch”.

After collecting the London Design Festival’s prestigious lifetime achievement medal earlier this week, with six decades of experience under his belt, Lord Foster says he finds Britain’s inability to invest in infrastructure frustrating.

“I lamented, like so many, the cancellation of HS2,” he says. The long-delayed rail route’s northern leg to Manchester was scrapped by Rishi Sunak in 2023.

“That was about levelling-up. It wasn’t about getting from one place in lightning speed, it was taking the burden off the regional network so it would serve local communities better.”

He says “connectivity is the answer to many of the social issues that we talk about”.

The tendency of politicians, he says, to prioritise short-term issues doesn’t help when it comes to seeing the bigger picture.

“There is not the awareness of the importance of design and planning… you do need a political awareness,” he says.

“The city is not static, it’s dynamic. It’s always changing, evolving, adapting to change, and it can do that well, or it can do it badly. But it needs planning, it needs anticipation.”

Entertainment

Kimmel ‘fired for lack of talent’, Trump says, as Obama decries ‘government coercion’

Published

11 hours ago

September 18, 2025

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Jimmy Kimmel 'should have been fired a long time ago', says Trump, after Obama's criticism

Donald Trump has claimed Jimmy Kimmel’s late-night talk show was pulled off the air because of “bad ratings”.

Kimmel’s programme on US network ABC was axed after he criticised the US president and his allies for their response to the assassination of the right-wing influencer Charlie Kirk.

The decision led to accusations that free speech was under attack in the US, with Democrats including former US president Barack Obama and a number of celebrities sounding an alarm.

Mr Trump said: “Well, Jimmy Kimmel was fired because he had bad ratings, more than anything else.”

“And he said a horrible thing about a great gentleman known as Charlie Kirk.”

Speaking at a news conference alongside Sir Keir Starmer, Mr Trump added: “Jimmy Kimmel is not a talented person. He had very bad ratings, and they should have fired him a long time ago.

“So, you know, you could call that free speech or not. He was fired for lack of talent.”

Aboard Air Force One, Mr Trump said: “When a host is on network television, there is a license. … I think maybe their license should be taken away.”

He said whether ABC’s license could be taken away over Mr Kimmel’s comments “will be up to Brendan Carr”, chairman of the Federal Communications Commission.

The US president also said that Mr Kimmel’s “ratings were worse than cold air. I think they got rid of cold air, which is a good thing to do. Look, that’s something that we should be talking about for licensing, too”.

The latest season of Jimmy Kimmel Live averaged 1.57 million viewers per episode, according to media research firm Nielsen – and the show’s YouTube channel has almost 21 million subscribers.

What did Kimmel say?

Kimmel made the controversial remark on Monday night.

He said: “We hit some new lows over the weekend with the MAGA gang desperately trying to characterise this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them and doing everything they can to score political points from it.”

Speaking about Mr Trump, he added: “This is not how an adult grieves the murder of someone he calls a friend. This is how a four-year-old mourns a goldfish.”

“Many in MAGA land are working very hard to capitalise on the murder of Charlie Kirk,” he continued.

Free speech under attack?

Disney-owned ABC then said the show would be taken off air indefinitely, and with immediate effect, after network operator Nexstar – which operates a number of ABC affiliates – said it would stop broadcasting it.

But the move – months after fellow CBS late-night show host Stephen Colbert saw his programme cancelled – sparked concern over the state of freedom of speech in the country.

Former US president Barack Obama wrote on X: “After years of complaining about cancel culture, the current administration has taken it to a new and dangerous level by routinely threatening regulatory action against media companies unless they muzzle or fire reporters and commentators it doesn’t like.

“This is precisely the kind of government coercion that the First Amendment was designed to prevent, and media companies need to start standing up rather than capitulating it.”

A string of high-profile celebrities, including actor Ben Stiller, criticised the decision. Mr Stiller reacted to another post on the news, replying: “This isn’t right.”

Actress Alison Brie said in an Instagram story: “This is unreal. And very scary.”

Actress Jean Smart and comedian Alex Edelman also attacked the move.

The American Federation of Musicians, Directors Guild of America, IATSE and Sag Aftra have also condemned the ABC’s decision in a joint statement.

“The indefinite removal of Jimmy Kimmel Live under government pressure is not an isolated incident. It is part of a disturbing trend of increasing interference in creative expression,” the unions said.

“This kind of political pressure on broadcasters and artists chills free speech and threatens the livelihoods of thousands of working Americans.”

What happened

Kimmel’s comments led to the Trump backer Mr Carr threatening to “take action” against Disney and ABC.

In an interview with conservative podcaster Benny Johnson, he said: “We can do this the easy way or the hard way.”

After the show was pulled, he then praised Nexstar’s broadcasting division, saying “it is important for broadcasters to push back on Disney programming that they determine falls short of community values”.

Kimmel’s suspension has triggered outrage from Democrats like California Governor Gavin Newsom, who posted on X: “The @GOP [Republican Party] does not believe in free speech. They are censoring you in real time.”

Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer called for people “across the political spectrum… to stop what’s happening to Jimmy Kimmel”.

A representative for Kimmel did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

He has not issued any statement since the show’s withdrawal.

Sinclear, the largest ABC affiliate group in the US, has called on Mr Kimmel to “issue a direct apology to the Kirk family” and “make a meaningful personal donation to the Kirk Family and Turning Point USA” in a statement on Thursday.

The company said its ABC stations will air a special in remembrance of Mr Kirk during Jimmy Kimmel Live’s timeslot on Friday.

Both Disney and Nexstar have FCC business ahead of them. Disney is seeking regulatory approval for ESPN’s acquisition of the NFL Network and Nexstar needs the Trump administration go-ahead to complete its $6.2bn purchase of broadcast rival Tegna.

Mr Kirk’s suspected killer, Tyler Robinson, appeared in court for the first time on Tuesday. Prosecutors said he had expressed negative views about Mr Kirk, an influential media figure in the MAGA movement.

Entertainment

Sally Rooney says she’s been told not to enter UK because she may be arrested

Published

11 hours ago

September 18, 2025

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Sally Rooney says she's been told not to enter UK because she may be arrested

Sally Rooney says she could not come to the UK to pick up an award earlier this week because she can “no longer safely enter the UK without facing arrest”.

The Irish author of hit novels including Normal People and Conversations With Friends recently pledged her royalties to proscribed group Palestine Action, meaning she is at risk of committing a terror offence under UK law.

Palestine Action was proscribed as a terrorist organisation in the UK on 5 July.

The 34-year-old had won a Sky Arts Award, in the literature category, for her latest novel, Intermezzo, beating fellow writers Alan Hollinghurst and Gwyneth Lewis.

Rooney’s editor, Alex Bowler, attended the ceremony on Tuesday at London’s Roundhouse on her behalf.

Accepting the award, he read a statement from Rooney, which said: “I’m so touched and grateful to receive this prize.

“I truly loved writing Intermezzo, and it means the world to me to think that it found some small place in the lives of its readers. Thank you.

“I wish that I could be with you this evening to accept the honour in person, but because of my support for non-violent anti-war protest, I’m advised that I can no longer safely enter the UK without potentially facing arrest.

“In that context, I want to thank you all the more warmly for honouring my work tonight and to reiterate my belief in the dignity and beauty of all human life and my solidarity with the people of Palestine.”

Rooney previously told the Irish Times that if backing the group “makes me a ‘supporter of terror’ under UK law, so be it”.

She has said she will use the proceeds of her work and her public platform to continue her support for Palestine Action and “direct action against genocide in whatever way I can”.

Palestine Action was banned under terrorism legislation in the UK, but not under Irish law.

Rooney currently lives in the west of Ireland.

More than 700 people have been arrested in relation to alleged support of Palestine Action since it was banned – including 522 during a protest in central London on 9 July.

The group was proscribed after the group claimed responsibility for damage to jets at RAF Brize Norton and was also linked to “allegations of a serious assault on staff”.

Earlier this week, a UN Commission report found Israel was committing genocide in Gaza.

Israel’s foreign ministry said it “categorically rejects this distorted and false report” and called for the commission to be abolished.

On Wednesday night, stars including Richard Gere, Florence Pugh, Damon Albarn and Louis Theroux all appeared at the Together for Palestine concert, at Ovo Arena Wembley, which raised £1.5m to support Palestinian humanitarian organisations.

See all the Sky Arts Awards winners here.