By Ryan Yousefi
Now that Netflix’s groundbreaking reality competition, Squid Game: The Challenge, has wrapped up and all episodes have been released, Coral Springs resident Kyle Christiansen can openly share his insights about his time on the show, where he gained recognition as contestant #087.
Christiansen, 26, a 2015 Cardinal Gibbons High School graduate, had his first child at 18, so he “had to grow up quickly.” He lives in the Coral Springs Wyndham Lakes community with his wife Marisa and three children and is the owner and broker of Blue Realty of Fort Lauderdale.
He shared with Coral Springs Talk his experience with the British adaptation of the popular South Korean drama offering insights about everything from the application process to the behind-the-scenes dynamics of the show that has captivated millions.
His long-time goal to appear on a television show was finally achieved when he appeared on Squid Game: The Challenge.
Kyle Christiansen with his wife Marisa, son Riley, daughter Harper, and son Colton. {courtesy}
“I had applied to Big Brother for the past nine years and applied for the Circle Season 2,” he revealed, adding, “I made it fairly far in the Circle application process but didn’t make the final round. I started following the casting producer I was working with on the Circle, and she posted a link for Squid Game: The Challenge. I DMed her, and she strongly encouraged me to apply.”
The recently aired reality show ranked as the most-watched show on Netflix featured 456 players and was filmed in London earlier this year. However, Christiansen was not allowed to discuss it until the show was aired and the results were announced.
Not everyone knows what happened, but now he’s free to dish on what viewers watched. And for those who haven’t seen the show — now would be a good time to note that spoiler alerts are included below.
Spoiler Alerts
Describing the living conditions during filming, he jokes that the experience was much better than the conditions of his dorm, “Living arrangements were like being in a fun jail with worse food,” Christiansen said. “Cameras and mics were on 24/7, lots of downtime between games, and we wore the same clothes the whole time filming.”
As is typical for a show of its nature, Squid Game: The Challenge appears longer than it is. Even so, Christiansen says the days were long, mundane, and a time warp.
As the competition unfolded over three weeks, he says time became an abstract concept for participants, isolated from windows, clocks, and external contact.
“You lose track of time and days when you are in an environment with no windows, clock, or contact with the outside.”
Reflecting on his elimination, he shared that being eliminated was bittersweet.
“I’m a competitor by nature, so I wanted nothing more than to win,” adding that how he went out was the most annoying aspect, but heading home to his family made elimination easier to swallow.
“Losing at a game as simple as marbles to my #1 alliance member was my worst-case scenario, but not having contact with my wife and kids took its toll, so I was happy to hear their voices again finally.”
Amid cutthroat competition, Christiansen spoke affectionately about his bond with player #254, Mikie. He says he’s had a chance to keep in touch with other contestants, but he and Mikie remain closest since filming ended.
“While on the show, I created a powerful alliance and still talk to every single one of them every day,” adding, “The person who left the biggest mark in my life is my boy Mikie. He was my best friend, ride or die in the game, and the one who sent me home. We still find time to FaceTime or send voice messages daily.”
Responding to the drama surrounding the show, including some contestants who have complained about film conditions and how long some scenes took to air compared to the actual time featured in the show, Christiansen was quick to defend the Squid Game production team.
“My overall experience was nothing shy of incredible,” he remarked. “The drama circulating the show, in my opinion, is all petty players who fell shy of their expectations.”
Christiansen goes further, saying that Netflix did no harm to those participating in the show and worked their hardest to ensure their mental and physical well-being.
“The production team at Netflix and Studio Lambert cared about the well-being of every player. The welfare team did pre-filming, filming, and post-filming welfare check-ins and held workshops for players on mental health and managing stress and anxiety.”
Warning: More Spoilers
Discussing the winner, Mai, who claimed the historic $4.56 million prize, Kyle expressed how happy he was for her, “I think Mai is well deserving of that 4.56 million. She played an amazing game. Her social game and ability to build trust and create bonds with all these players from all walks of life helped reel in that win.”
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