Even though the second season of Squid Game is long overdue, still the most-watched series in Netflix history, the platform has found a perfect alternative to keep fans waiting. We're obviously talking about Squid Game, the challenge, the IRL (and non-mortal) version of the games that push participants to their limits. Of the 456 candidates, only one will be able to win the colossal sum of 4.56 million dollars (around 4.23 million euros). Well, that's the theory if Netflix rewards its winner, which wouldn't be the case at the moment.
Be careful, we'll spoil the end of the competition for you if you haven't seen everything yet. The winner of the first season of Squid Game, The Challenge, is Mai Whelan, also known as Player 287. However, in a recent interview with the Times, she claims that she has yet to receive a single penny from Netflix during the competition last February was filmed .
“I feel like Tom Cruise in the Jerry Maguire movie. Show me the money! Even though I have treated myself to some expensive but well-deserved possessions, I am beginning to feel remorse because I still have not received anything.”
Mai Whelan is a 55-year-old former soldier who is now a lawyer and is now believed to have become a multimillionaire. Since her win, she's treated herself to a new haircut, a Ralph Lauren dress and Jimmy Choo shoes, but is waiting for the jackpot she deserves with no real news. Mai Whelan would like to donate some of it to a charity that fights against global warming, works to protect wildlife or helps the most disadvantaged people.
She adds that she is prohibited from passing on any part of it to her competitors because all candidates have signed a contract that provides for this ban. A practice that once again calls into question the organization and progress of Squid Game, the behind-the-scenes challenge, with the production being accused of deliberately mistreating the participants. We hope that Mai Whelan will hit her jackpot by the second season as the series was renewed despite these numerous complaints against her.
The first season of Squid Game is available on Netflix.