I competed on TV's most gruelling show ever - the exhaustion was so severe that I started to hallucinate and bosses cut out the worst struggle of all
- Have YOU got a story? Email tips@dailymail.co.uk
- Not sure what to watch tonight? Discover our brand new TV GUIDE now!
Contestants on Netflix's reality gameshow Squid Game: The Challenge have opened up on the gruelling behind-the-scenes as it returned for a second series.
The series, which was launched last year, tasks players with taking part in games based on hit Korean series Squid Game to take home an eye-watering $4.56 million (£3.6m) prize pot.
Starting out with 456 people, the group are slowly whittled down through the sudden-death style challenges, that see contestants 'killed' if they fail to complete the challenges.
After a huge public demand for more after its initial release on Netflix last year, new episodes have hit the streaming service this week, with more to follow next week.
And the upcoming four episodes have been teased to include shock new twists and never-before-seen games that will push the contestants to their limits.
While unlike the original drama series, which sees players murdered as part of the twisted action, the game is not actually life or death, a group of contenders have revealed that it doesn't feel far off.
Contestants on Netflix 's reality gameshow Squid Game : The Challenge have opened up on the gruelling behind-the-scenes as it returned for a second series
After a huge public demand for more after its initial release on Netflix last year, new episodes have hit the streaming service this week, with more to follow next week
Not only that, but the series is so intensely exhausting that they started to 'hallucinate'.
Melissa, also known as Player 110, told Metro: 'The second I walked into these challenges, I immediately started crying.
'The level of intensity when you are strapped into a squid vest, I don’t think you can understand what that feels like. My heart would immediately drop every time.
'The intensity was so much more than you could even imagine. They’re simple games, but we really were fighting for our lives.'
She went on to explain that knowing the huge prize money was up for grabs, it put a huge amount of 'pressure' on contestants during the games.
Fellow player Jacob, known as Player 432, added that the high-stress environment was only made worse by the difficulty in getting enough sleep, and enough to eat.
Players only get to keep hold of one metal water bottle to keep hydrated.
While there are no clocks for contenders to know what time it is, Jacob stressed that he, like many, were running on very few hours of sleep.
One player said the series is so high intensity, that some suffered from such extreme levels of exhaustion that they started to 'hallucinate'
Jacob, known as Player 432, revealed that the high-stress environment was only made worse by the difficulty in getting enough sleep, and enough to eat
He said: 'It got to a point where I was just so tired, but I had to be awake because the game is so intense, I started hallucinating a little bit because I’d close my eyes, then suddenly I’d have to wake up, and it’s time to play.'
Jacob entered the game alongside his twin brother Raul, Player 431, with the pair aware they had 'eyes on them' due to their close bond.
Entering Squid Game: The Challenge alongside his twin brother, Raul (Player 431), Jacob was aware of the massive target on their backs.
It comes after a former contestant on Squid Game: The Challenge opened up on what it was really like behind the scenes on the show.
Mikie Bowe, 36, was allocated Player 254 in the game show version of the series, told Daily Mail: 'It was the hardest thing that I have ever done in my entire life.
'We couldn't tell the time or see the outside, so day and night didn't matter. We ate, slept, and gamed on the demand of the guards. I think we had about eight hours of rest in between days.
'Food was fuel. For some of us it was unbearable, but I ate it all. We had oats for breakfast, which I didn't mind, but the Americans couldn't handle it.
'Other meals consisted of bland rice and a weird egg. While we had enough food, there were no treats.'
Squid Game: The Challenge is available to stream on Netflix now.
