A former Perthshire school pupil has described the “intense” experience of taking part in a new Netflix hit show.
Glenalmond College alumni Alexander Campbell, known as ‘Beetle’, was whittled down from 100,000 entrants to take part in Squid Game: The Challenge.
The 27-year-old is one of 456 players vying for a chance of winning £3.66m – one of the biggest cash prizes in TV history.
Viewers were waiting in eager anticipation for the reality show, adapted from the TV drama, Squid Game, created by Hwang Dong-hyuk.
Like the TV drama, contestants will have to take part in a series of children’s games or risk being eliminated.
Netflix viewers will see many familiar sights, including masked guards and a singing giant doll as contestants don the infamous green tracksuit.
Beetle, who worked as a waiter for Wild Thyme in Comrie between 2014 and 2017, said the game show is like “nothing else out there”.
‘It plays out just like the show’
The independent filmmaker said: “It was a very intense experience – you get chewed up and spat out.
“I was a fan of the series and the reality show plays out just like it.
“When I got scouted I think there were 100,000 people in with a chance of appearing.
“There was only myself and one other Scot that were selected and there were 300 Americans.
“We filmed it in January in a big warehouse in London.
“There was stress, drama and animosity with everyone in with a chance of winning a life-changing sum of money.”
‘It was like SAS: Who Dares Wins on steroids’
Beetle said it took a little bit of adjusting to normal life once the contestants finished filming.
He added: “Whilst the contestants don’t die in the game show it very much plays out like the show.
“It all felt very real when you were immersed in it.
“Instead of dying you’ve got a vest underneath which fills with black if you’re eliminated.
“It was like SAS: Who Dares Wins on steroids, though it was more physiologically demanding.
“You were locked up in a warehouse whilst taking part and had also been in isolation prior to filming.
“Then when you’re plopped back into the real world it was a bit surreal adapting to normal life again.
“I’ve got to say there is nothing else out there like this experience. The PTSD welfare was all spot on after we left the show.”
Squid Game: The Challenge is available to watch now on Netflix
Conversation