‘I felt like I was inside my TV’: Utah contestants describe ‘Squid Game’ experience

SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) — Two contestants from Utah competed on “Squid Game: The Challenge” this season, participating in a series of high-stakes games in pursuit of a cash prize worth nearly $5 million.

Contestants Britt Christensen and Lizzie McGee described their experience on the show.

“My favorite game was the six-legged pentathlon,” Christensen said. “I thought, well, that might be dangerous, you know, handcuffing six people together by their ankles, and I just, it wasn’t even on my radar. And the team building that we got to hear about and see from all the other players, I mean, I really almost sent my team home with my Gonggi game.”

Christensen added that their team still made it, despite her lacking performance. She said her team members were very supportive, giving her the courage to keep going.

“That was a really fun team bonding moment for sure,” Christensen said.

McGee added that she soaked in the whole experience.

“When I went into the show, I was really, really nervous for ‘Red Light, Green Light,’” McGee said. “I thought that out of all the games, when I watched the series, I thought Red Light, Green Light is gonna be my demise. I don’t even know if I would be able to have the stamina or figure it out.”

McGee said she had heard that Red Light, Green Light was difficult, with eight hours of filming. She said season one contestants claimed they just stood still for 45 minutes at a time.

“As a theater nerd, I loved Mingle,” McGee said.

The game requires players to form groups of a specific number, called out by a machine, and enter a room within 30 seconds to avoid elimination.

McGee added that the fun part of the whole experience was how difficult it was, and how much being there felt like being inside the show.

“I walk in and the set was exactly like the show,” she said. “I felt like I was inside my TV, experiencing this experience, and I couldn’t stop geeking out. And I was really lucky. My team really stuck together and knew the numbers and could figure it out.”

McGee said while the whole experience was indeed stressful and a bit crazy, she had a lot of fun.

You can watch the full interview with Christensen and McGee on News4Utah+ here.

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