Winner of Squid Game: The Challenge finally receives £3.6 million prize more than 10 months after filming show
Squid Game: The Challenge had us all gripped the last few months of 2023, with the Netflix game show winner eventually being crowned in the run up to Christmas.
The epic contest saw the hit fictional show become a reality - minus the deaths, of course - and 456 players whittled down to just one, with the lucky winner being announced to the world on 6 December.
*SPOILER* Mai Whelan took the number one spot and with that came a huge prize fund of $4.56 million (£3.66 million).
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The problem, though, in the aftermath of the show was that Vietnamese-born Whelan didn't receive her cash.
In an interview with The Times, Whelan said: “I feel like Tom Cruise in Jerry Maguire. Show me the money!”
Now, at long last, it's been revealed by PEOPLE that Whelan has been given her millions.
And on Whelan's claims of a '10-month delay' in receiving the funds, it has also been reported by PEOPLE that a payment plan was in place that would kick in after the season one finale went live on Netflix.
The plan for Whelan now - after splashing the cash a little on some Ralph Lauren and Jimmy Choo goodies - is to 'find a retirement home somewhere'.
She said: "We don’t know where yet, and we are happy with where we are. We live on the water. It’s very peaceful."
Outside of choosing a retirement plot, Whelan wants to give back to the community.
She told Entertainment Tonight: "I have charitable causes I wanna contribute more to... sponsoring kids receiving education and helping the elderly with their basic needs and health care.
"And also the wildlife and the climate.
"I think those are very important to how we see the world so that way we can live in it and enjoy it for everybody, not just us at the present moment."
Well, it seems as if Whelan won't be the only one enjoying her millions as Netflix is already casting for Squid Game: The Challenge Season Two.
Brandon Riegg, Netflix VP of Nonfiction Series, said: "“There was no red light in our decision to green light Season 2 of Squid Game: The Challenge, the most ambitious unscripted show we’ve premiered at Netflix.
"We’re so excited to continue the franchise of Squid Game with our team in Korea, and producers at Studio Lambert and The Garden for this epic competition series.”
As for the second season of Squid Game the fictional TV show, it's set to premier last this year.
The show will pick up the story with Seong Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae) as he seeks revenge after being the sole survive of the Squid Game contestants in season one.
Season one ended with Gi-hun stopping a potential contestant from getting involved in a future outing of the deathly game.
He then decides to not board a plane headed for the USA and tease a fight for justice against those that cause so much death.
Topics: Netflix, TV and Film, Money
Tom Earnshaw