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Adrian Alaberg on What It Was Really Like Competing on Squid Game: The Challenge

Player 270 Adrian Alaberg said Red Light, Green Light was far harder to film than he expected, recalling prolonged holds in a cold UK aircraft hangar.
Opened Runtime3 min Written byDocumentaryTube Team
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For Perth contestant Adrian Alaberg, the first game on Squid Game: The Challenge was far harder to film than he expected. He recalled holding a pose in a cold UK aircraft hangar for increasingly long stretches, with the final filming sequence for players crossing the line lasting hours. Those details come from Alaberg’s account in a radio interview, as reported by PerthNow; Netflix’s production explainer offers context about the show’s mechanics, but does not verify his individual recollections.

Who is Adrian Alaberg on Squid Game: The Challenge?

Adrian Alaberg is a Western Australian TikTok creator who competed as Player 270 on Netflix’s Squid Game: The Challenge. In a 29 November 2023 report, PerthNow’s Clare Rigden said Alaberg discussed the experience on the Allan & Carly for Breakfast radio show. He said he was keen to take part because the concept looked like fun television, while understanding that the real competition was not the lethal drama of the scripted series.

His comments describe his own experience, rather than a verified account of how every contestant experienced filming. PerthNow’s report is the source for his recollections; Netflix’s production materials explain selected show procedures separately.

What was Red Light, Green Light really like to film?

Alaberg recalled filming the opening game in a large aircraft hangar somewhere in the UK during winter. According to his account, contestants were told to hold a pose for two minutes, then wait as production captured shots. The holds, he said, were extended in five-minute increments until they reached about 35 to 40 minutes.

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He said that by the second hold he could no longer feel his feet. Alaberg described the first game as much harder than he had expected, and said the final people to cross the line took eight hours to film. “This scene, for the last people that crossed the line, took eight hours to film!” he said, as quoted in PerthNow’s 2023 report.

The durations and physical sensations are Alaberg’s estimates and recollections as reported by PerthNow, not independently audited production timings. Netflix’s official production explainer does not confirm the hangar conditions, hold lengths or eight-hour sequence.

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How did the real competition differ from the scripted show?

Squid Game: The Challenge borrowed the fictional series’ visual language and games, but contestants were competing in a reality show, not facing fictional lethal consequences. Netflix described the first season as a competition with 456 players across 10 episodes and a $4.56 million prize. Those are Netflix’s figures for the first season, not details of Alaberg’s filming experience. Netflix Tudum’s format overview outlines the season.

Some on-screen effects also had practical production explanations. Netflix says each player wore an ink packet, or squib, under the shirt; it burst when production determined that player had been eliminated. The ink effect was not produced with paintballs. Netflix also says the panels on the Glass Bridge were not real glass, citing safety. These details explain how selected parts of the competition were staged, but do not corroborate Alaberg’s account of Red Light, Green Light. Netflix’s production explainer describes the effects and safety choices.

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What did Netflix say about the contestants’ filming routine?

Netflix reported that contestants could not bring personal items and that production supplied fanny packs, which most players used for toiletries. The company said filming generally started around 7 or 8 a.m. and ran until lights out at about 11 p.m.; camera numbers were reduced during sleeping hours, with monitoring retained mostly for health and safety. These are Netflix’s descriptions of production practices, not details Alaberg specifically provided about the Red Light, Green Light sequence. Netflix Tudum’s player Q&A covers the routine.

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Why Alaberg’s account matters

Alaberg’s recollection gives a contestant-level view of the unglamorous waiting and physical strain behind the opening game’s polished television presentation. He also made a wry comparison with the scripted series and said contestants chose to remain in the competition despite the hardship. That was his perspective, not a claim about what all players felt.

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PerthNow reported that the show drew 20.1 million views in its first five days, a historical figure from 2023 rather than a measure of its current audience. PerthNow’s report on that figure places it in the show’s initial release period.

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