Final Episode of Squid Game: The Challenge – A Game Show Inspired by the Popular South Korean Survival Drama – Aired on December 7. After enduring numerous challenges, the contestant named Mai Whelan, a 55-year-old Vietnamese woman, emerged victorious.
In the finale, Mai outplayed two male contestants, Sam Lantz and Phill Cain. The 55-year-old contestant won a cash prize of $4.56 million, making it the largest reward in the history of reality television.
The result of the 55-year-old contestant winning the Squid Game show has garnered significant media attention. According to CBC, Mai’s presence throughout the program was notably subdued, with little personal storytelling shared across the nine episodes of the show.
In episode 9, she recounted her experience of the initial days on the set in the United Kingdom. “I will never forget the moment I was awakened on the ground in the UK. It was the motivation that helped me become stronger,” Mai stated.
According to Netflix, Mai is a former immigration officer. Prior to this, she spent time working in the U.S. Navy. Beyond her profession, the 55-year-old has a passion for gardening and travel. Mai plans to use her winnings to purchase a house after retirement.
Mai’s opponents had extensive survival experience, including Phill Cain (Contestant 451, 27 years old, a seasoned coach) and Sam Lantz (Contestant 016, a tradesman). The contestants were noted for their strategic skills and abilities as they faced numerous challenging games in the reality show, Squid Game.
Squid Game: The Challenge is a reality competition show inspired by the globally popular survival drama. The game show features a complete recreation of the show’s setting, costumes, and rules, allowing contestants to engage in various challenges that mirror the original game’s perilous nature.
According to CBC, contestants face pressures similar to those depicted in the film due to the enormous prize money and strict game rules. Contestant 273, Johnson, noted that during the ‘Red Light, Green Light’ game, participants had to film in freezing conditions in the UK. Although the game was over in just a few minutes, contestants had to endure multiple hours in the cold.
