Players of Netflix’s real-life Squid Game ‘stretchered off set’

Contestants in Netflix‘s real-life Squid Game were reportedly left screaming ‘medic’ before they were stretchered off in freezing temperatures while filming.

Players felt as if they had frostbite as the mercury at the UK filming site plummeted to -3C, according to The Sun.

The streaming platform has been secretly filming a reality version of the deadly fictional competition, with participants battling it out for a £3.7million prize.  

Out in the cold: Contestants of Netflix’s real-life Squid Game were reportedly left screaming ‘medic’ before they were stretchered off in freezing temperatures while filming for the show

One player told the publication: ‘Even if hypothermia kicked in then people were willing to stay for as long as possible because a lot of money was on the line. 

‘Too many were determined not to move so they stood there for far too long.

‘There were people arriving thinking they were going to be millionaires but they left in tears.’

They added: ‘It was like a warzone. People were getting carried out by medics but we couldn’t say anything. If you talk then you’re out. Some people couldn’t move their feet because it was so cold.

Troubles: Players are said to have felt like they had frostbite as the temperatures at the UK filming location plummeted to -3C, according to The Sun

‘You could hear someone yell “medic” and the crew would rush on. We ended up standing there for 30 minutes between takes. Some were crawling by the end. At least one was carried out on a stretcher.’

A total of 456 players, the same as in the Netflix series, took part and some are said to have started to feel unwell during the first game, Red Light, Green Light.

MailOnline has contacted Netflix for comment.

Action: The streaming platform has been secretly filming a reality version of the deadly fictional competition, with hopefuls battling it out for a £3.7million prize (Cardington Studios in Bedford pictured)

Competitors had flown in from as far as the United States and Australia for the show, which was being filmed at Cardington Studios, a former RAF base near Bedford.

Hundreds were eliminated in the first round and then stayed in bunkbeds at the studios, just like in the Korean series.

In the original series, hundreds of cash-strapped contestants accept an invitation to compete in children’s games for a tempting prize, but the stakes are deadly.  

Brandon Riegg, Netflix’s vice president of unscripted and documentary series, previously said of the upcoming programme: ‘Squid Game took the world by storm with [director Hwang Dong-hyuk’s] captivating story and iconic imagery.

‘We’re grateful for his support as we turn the fictional world into reality in this massive competition and social experiment. 

‘Fans of the drama series are in for a fascinating and unpredictable journey as our 456 real world contestants navigate the biggest competition series ever, full of tension and twists, with the biggest-ever cash prize at the end.’  

The reality series will consist of 10 episodes which happens to be one more than the original dramatic series.

Squid Game became Netflix’s most-watched new series in 2021, drawing in 142million people in its first month – nearly double the previous record held by Bridgerton.

The Korean drama is also being praised with adding 4.4million new subscribers, increasing Netflix global subscriptions to 213.5 million up from 209million.

It boosted the company’s profits to £1.1billion – nearly double the amount it took in during the third quarter of 2020.

Screen magic: The reality series will consist of 10 episodes which happens to be one more than the original dramatic series