Squid Game: The challenge was the hardest thing I’ve ever done in my life.
I am a full-time carer for my six-year-old daughter, who has special needs, and signed up for the Netflix show to try and win the $4.56 million jackpot and help my family – but I didn’t have any I had no idea how hard it would be.
We couldn’t tell time or see the surroundings, so day and night didn’t matter. We ate, slept and played at the request of the guards. I think we had about eight hours of rest between days.
I decided to apply after seeing an ad on Twitter. I was asked to make a one minute video and within a day and a half of submitting it I had the producers on the phone.
Irish TikTok star Mikie Bowe has been awarded player 254 in Squid Game: The Challenge.
The father-of-five, 36, said he assumed the game was child’s play but it wasn’t
What followed were months of background checks, including medical exams, and production bosses scouring my social media accounts.
And one day I was texting with my wife and got a call from an unknown number.
I responded – something I never normally do – and was told I made the show. It was breathtaking. I was like, ‘Wow, I’m going to be on Netflix and I’m going to be part of Squid Game!’ I love Squid Game!’
I didn’t know what I was signing up for. I assumed it would just be child’s play, but it wasn’t. It was so serious and intense.
My original plan was to fool everyone by making them laugh and win them over with my banter – before taking them down one by one.
But that disappeared when I really started connecting with the other players.
On the first day we left the hotel early in the morning and reached this big room to get ready.
There was a big marquee and we got the familiar green sweats, extra socks and thermals and there were coolers to keep us warm. There was food, coffee, tables and chairs for us and so many people who looked after us.
He said Red Light, Green Light was the most difficult challenge he took part in
Mikie shut down talk of a “fix,” claiming he crossed the finish line on “red light, green light” with player 302, LeAnn, who some contestants say was given a free pass.
Then it was time to play the infamous Red Light, Green Light – and filming really took forever.
We had to pose long enough for the judges to scrutinize who was moving and therefore had to be eliminated.
But the game wasn’t nine hours long as some people claim, and it certainly wasn’t patched.
During the race I was so focused on myself and how hard I had to push through that all I could see was the finish line. I was completely disconnected from everything around me.
It was nerve wracking. I had three seconds to cross the finish line before I ran out of time, but I did it. This was the hardest thing I, and probably everyone else, had to do throughout the series.
Some players have since said the challenge was rigged. Oh my god, I wish it was fake!
I heard people talking through some players’ microphones – and while that was true, it didn’t affect people’s performance. There were people walking out right in front of me with fully functioning microphones.
It is nonsense to say that content creators win preferentially because of their popularity. I saw them all eliminated.
There were also reports that producers passed on Player 302 – LeAnn Plutnicki – to keep her and her son’s story going. But it’s not true. I am with her over the finish line. When I say they let them win, it’s a slap in the face.
The full-time supervisor said he developed a bond with his rivals amid challenges, which foiled his plan.
At the guards’ request, the players were forced to eat, sleep and play
Mikie claimed players were shocked after being confronted with warships as they thought they were in the tug of war featured in the drama series.
I hate that people call it fake. It crunches for me. Did everyone have a fair chance? 110 percent. The playing field was level.
The second challenge, Dalgona, where we had to cut shapes out of a piece of candy without breaking it, was the first time I felt completely immersed. I completed the challenge with about a minute to spare. But when I got the guard’s attention, he shook his head to show I wasn’t done yet.
Even though I was sure I had cut out my triangle, I missed another piece touching the side of the honeycomb. I had to calm my trembling hands to gently move it away. I was a wreck at the time, but I was determined to defy all odds.
Warships was another intense challenge as we all thought we were encountering Tug of War, part of the drama series, so we were shocked to be faced with a roguelike game.
Once the second ship was hit, I knew I was safe and could continue.
When we first got to the dorms there was a party and we were all crazy. Everyone had the best time. I just wish the show bosses had included some of this in the final version.
During filming I developed a slight sore throat, probably due to the dry air, and the doctors took really good care of me. Just because of a sore throat!
Between games we were able to build a real bond with our teammates. I got a bloody nose at one point because my friends and I were laughing so hard.
What we accomplished at the Games brought us closer together – although I noticed that some participants jumped from alliance to alliance and spread gossip.
Food was fuel. It was unbearable for some of us, but I ate everything. We had oatmeal for breakfast, which I didn’t mind, but the Americans couldn’t handle it.
Other meals consisted of soft rice and a strange egg.
Players enjoyed a sweet treat before gruesomely discovering their next challenge
Although we had plenty of food, there were no treats except once at the picnic in episode five, which, unbeknownst to us, was actually the game of marbles.
Kyle, my best friend, and I were immediately suspicious. We didn’t want to work together because why would we want to? It was clear that they were not really treating us.
If you look at the episode where we have the picnic, Kyle and I are at the very end of our blanket acquisition because we didn’t want to cooperate. But no one else wanted to work with us because they had already found their people.
We sit down and mean it. Kyle sits there and digs through the brownies, chips, and juice, and then we lift the fake bottom, see the marbles, and panic.
I ask myself: “Does anyone want to trade places with me?” We are here to give you everything we have. Just swap it!’
It was hard to see Kyle go.
After filming was completed, we were looked after from head to toe, which was very nice. The production team would make sure we were okay.
Squid Game: The Challenge premiered on Netflix on November 22nd and the series finale will air on December 6th.
They asked, “Are you happy with how you did there?” and “Are you looking forward to the show?”
They said, “If we can help you, if you’re feeling depressed, if you’re feeling this or that, we’re here for you.”
I still get calls from social services, calls from psychologists and general “How are you?” calls to contact me.
Squid Game: The challenge was no walk in the park. It was the hardest thing I’ve ever done, but we were treated fairly and the games were fair.
People have claimed it’s fake, but I think they’re just upset they didn’t win.
I would do it again in a heartbeat.
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Ashley Root is an author and celebrity journalist who writes for The Fashion Vibes. With a keen eye for all things celebrity, Ashley is always up-to-date on the latest gossip and trends in the world of entertainment.
