Squid Game: The Challenge proved so stressful for one contestant that they were filmed desperately trying not to vomit as they fought to survive Netflix’s controversial new series.
Spencer – aka Player 299 – repeatedly retched in the second episode after a dire decision he made resulted in the elimination of multiple contestants – and destroyed their chances of winning the $4.56million cash prize.
The tense exchange happened during Dalgona – a game which sees players given 10 minutes to extract their shape from a piece of Korean candy using a needle. If it breaks or they run out of time, contestants are automatically eliminated.
Ahead of the game, four competitors from four different groups had to reach an agreement on which shape each group would take – either a circle, triangle, star, or an umbrella.
Spencer – Player 299 – was seen repeatedly retching in the second episode of Squid Game: The Challenge as he was overcome by the pressure while playing Dalgona
He reluctantly chose the umbrella shape for his group, after the star, triangle, and circle had been selected by others
Chaos ensued amongst the players, with nobody willing to select the umbrella owing to its complicated shape, with eight contestants booted out before the game even started after failing to agree on a shape.
Spencer and three other players were then given the responsibility of making their choice.
With just two minutes to reach a decision, Spencer opted for the umbrella for his team, on the condition that the other players would jump in to help his teammates once they had completed their own candy.
But unbeknownst to Spencer, players are not permitted to help each other.
On learning the devastating news, he began to retch, saying: ‘Oh God, no. Please don’t, please don’t, please don’t. Jesus Christ, please don’t. Oh God.’
A fellow player heard the commotion and cringed: ‘Oh… if he throws up.’
Unfortunately for Spencer, the pressure – and the retching – didn’t subside, and when two of his teammates were eliminated next to him, he began to choke up once again.
He admitted: ‘I’m feeling the pressure on my shoulders. I can’t look around or I might puke, but it’s really hard not to see all the other people around me and what they’re losing because of what I did.
Spencer opted to take the umbrella shape for his team, on the condition that the other groups would come and help his fellow teammates
The umbrella shape is the hardest to remove out of the four shape options
Spencer frantically tried to hold in his vomit for the entirety of the game – admitting that he couldn’t look around the room or he’d puke
‘I think some of them are gonna hate me. I think some of them are gonna remember me for the rest of their lives as the person who ruined their chance of becoming a millionaire.’
Speaking in his confessional before the task started, Spencer said: ‘I was a momma’s boy for sure.
‘I remember I used to wet the bed a lot, I used to cry when I was taken away from my mom. I was very introverted.
‘As I got older, it took a long time before I started getting out of my shell and talking to people.’
He added: ‘I think I’m empathetic. I think to a fault, sometimes.’
Spencer’s fellow players dropped like flies as they struggled to cut out the umbrella shape from the candy – and it wasn’t long before he also crumbled under the pressure.
His fellow players were eliminated after failing to cut out the candy without it breaking
Spencer came close to throwing up after he himself was eliminated from the competition
He continued to retch after he dramatically fell to the floor once he was ‘shot’ by the overseers
‘This is gonna be a win for me,’ he said, seconds before he broke his candy, prompting him to retch once again.
The new competition series is based on the 2021 South Korean survival drama, Squid Game, created by Hwang Dong-hyuk.
The hit TV phenomenon saw 456 players, all of whom were in deep financial debt, risk their lives to play a series of deadly children’s games for the chance to win a $4.56 billion prize.
The new real life gameshow sees contestants ‘shot’ with black paintballs when they are eliminated.
The show has faced tough criticism from contestants, some of whom claimed they were ‘treated like animals’ and made to stand for hours in freezing temperatures during filming in Bedford, United Kingdom.
As temperatures at the studio reportedly plummeted to -3C, some disgruntled players hit out over having to film in such conditions and considered suing the streamer.
At the time, one contestant told The Sun: ‘We were tortured for eight hours. We were just fodder. You wouldn’t treat animals like that. I know the show was supposed to be tough but it felt inhumane.
‘At one point I could see they were bringing on a black coffin with a pink ribbon just like in the original show. I feel like they prioritized getting a good shot over helping us.’
People reportedly couldn’t move their feet due to freezing temperatures in the UK, with the scene compared to a ‘war zone.’
Another player claimed people were ‘dropping like flies’ due to the temperature.
Reports also emerged claiming some contestants were left screaming ‘medic’ before they were stretchered off in freezing conditions.
In a statement, Netflix and the show’s producers Studio Lambert and The Garden said that ‘while it was very cold on set — and participants were prepared for that — any claims of serious injury are untrue.’
They continued: ‘We care deeply about the health and safety of our cast and crew, and invested in all the appropriate safety procedures.’
Elsewhere two players are said to have ruined their chances before the show got underway, after bed-hopping at the Tower Hotel in London where contestants stayed in for two days before filming commenced.
