Squid Game: The Challenge player claims Netflix ‘wanted us to have sex’

Roland Hannigan (Player 418) said: ‘They were craving for someone to have sex’

A competitor on hit game show Squid Game: The Challenge has claimed that “Netflix wanted us to have sex.”

On a new podcast uploaded to YouTube, Roland Hannigan (Player 418) spoke to fellow competitor Trey Plutnicki (Player 301) about their time on the show.

“I swear Netflix wanted us to have sex,” Hannigan told Plutnicki, before clarifying: “Like, not me and you.”

He added: “They were craving for someone to have sex because they made a very big point that we were not tested for STDs. And they made it clear, ‘We’re not going to stop you.’”

Hannigan explained that producers from Netflix also “put a load of condoms in the shower room”.

Plutnicki added: “The condoms ran out. There must’ve been hundreds… The condoms were not used for sex, as far as I know.”

“The condoms were used to be rubbed on lips, and not in a fun way,” he explained, saying that lube from the condoms was used as chapstick. “After Red Light Green Light, everybody was out in the cold for so long, everybody’s lips were chapped for so long.”

The Independent have reached out to Netflix for their response.

‘Squid Game: The Challenge’ (Netflix)

Squid Game: The Challenge champion Mai Whelan recently revealed why she felt “guilty” about winning.

Netflix released the game show version of its hit Korean blockbuster last month and, what started with 456 contestants was whittled down to just two for the final challenge.

To win the show’s record-breaking jackpot of $4.56m (£3.57m), Phillip Cain (Player 451) and Mai Whelan (Player 287) had to play a game of Rock, Paper, Scissors. Whoever won the round was given a chance to select a key that could open a safe. Inside the safe, was a credit card loaded with millions.

After several attempts, Mai, 56, picked the key that successfully turned in the lock, with the immigration adjudicator ultimately taking home the prize.

However, speaking to The Independent after the release of the final episode, Mai revealed that her victory was not as plain-sailing as was shown in the episode: it actually took 30 minutes to ascertain whether she had really become a millionaire.

“At first, my key... maybe I didn’t do it hard enough, because it turned but the door didn’t open. I was like, ‘Maybe this is not the right key.’ So they had to call in an adjudicator and security – it was a big deal. It took about 30 minutes to validate it was the key to open the safe.”

Mai said her opponent, Phill, “was stressing like, ‘Did she win? Did she win?’”

The victor also said that her reaction to winning, which was shown in the series, was actually a reshoot, adding: “Then, of course they, reshot the scene [where I was] like,’ Oh, the credit card!’”

Mai admitted to feeling “guilty” about taking home the jackpot over Phill, who described himself in the show as “living from paycheck to paycheck”.