ITV’s Squid Game-inspired game show branded ‘dangerous’ by contestant – after three people end up in hospital
A CONTESTANT on ITV’s Squid Game-inspired game show has branded it “dangerous” – after three people end up in hospital during filming.
Amir Jardan, 38, says he was left “struggling to breathe” while taking part in a challenge which saw contestants jump into a “mountain” of hay that “exploded with dust”.
Several people, including Amir, were left to seek medical attention – with one man “needing urgent hospital care after developing an allergic reaction”.
The eight-part series that will air on ITV1 in early 2025, sees 100 contestants competing in a series of games – similar to the hit Netflix show Squid Game – with the last person standing winning a cash prize.
The show is hosted by brothers and former soap stars, Ryan and Adam Thomas.
Amir, who shares three children with fiancé, Ruth Moore, 27, said he joined the show “as an exciting challenge” but “never in a million years” did he expect to ‘nearly lose his life’.
Over the course of a week, Amir and the 99 other contestants took part in over 13 challenges, however on the second day of filming in July 2024, things took a turn for the worst.
In a game named ‘needle in a haystack’, Amir claims contestants had to jump from a “considerable height” into a stack of hay to retrieve a pair of chopsticks in order to escape elimination.
However, a “cloud of dust” left several people needing medical help, and an ambulance was called – with three people being taken to Reading Hospital, Berkshire.
Amir continued filming the show but fears there may be “long-term” issues with his health after the incident.
Speaking ahead of the programme’s debut, Amir, a fire alarm engineer, from Dorchester, Dorset, said: “I was so excited to be taking part in a fun TV show, never in a million years did I think I’d nearly lose my life.
“It’s a dangerous show and it caused my fiancé – who was heavily pregnant at the time – additional stress.
“When we had to jump into this massive stack of hay, a cloud of dust engulfed us.
“Somehow, I managed to escape but I couldn’t breathe because I could feel my throat closing up.
“After that, the whole thing was a blur, but I remember I was put into the recovery position as the ambulance was called.
“I didn’t think I’d see our children again. I spent six hours waiting in the hospital to get checked over.
“I haven’t been the same since. Before filming for the show, I considered myself to be healthy and athletic.
“But now I can barely go for a run without being left breathless.
“I have horrendous dust allergy flare ups, and my breathing has been left in tatters which makes getting to sleep extremely difficult.
“I’ll be nervous when watching the show because it’ll be like I’m reliving it.”
Amir claims his health hasn’t been the same since and he’s struggled to return to work because of the physical effects of the incident.
“My memory hasn’t been great since which isn’t at all ideal with being an engineer,” he said.
“I still go to the hospital every six months to get my lung health checked.
“I’m concerned if there’s been any long-term damage to my health.
“I’m a dad-of-three and my partner and I have bills and a mortgage to pay for. I want to be well.
“I’m scared that it’s had a long-term effect on my health.”
Despite originally being “over the moon” to be taking part in the new show, Amir says he “isn’t looking forward to seeing it air”.
Who are the Thomas Brothers?
The three Thomas brothers - Ryan, Adam and Scott have become recognisable faces to TV viewers through their appearances on different shows. Let's take a look at the trio's individual journeys.
- Ryan Thomas: The eldest of the brothers, Ryan is perhaps best known for playing Jason Grimshaw in Coronation Street from 2000 to 2016. He has also ventured into reality TV, winning Celebrity Big Brother in 2018 and Dancing On Ice in 2023. Before retiring from acting, Ryan also had a guest role in Australian soap Neighbours in 2018.
- He is engaged to Lucy Mecklenburgh, with the couple having met while taking part in Celebrity Island with Bear Grylls.
- Adam Thomas: Also an actor, Adam is known for playing Donte Charles in Waterloo Road (2006-2009, 2023-present) for the BBC, as well as Adam Barton in Emmerdale from 2009 to 2018.
- Adam has participated in I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here (finishing third) and Strictly Come Dancing (finishing ninth). After his I’m A Celebrity stint, Adam later hosted spin-off show Extra Camp for one series in 2019, alongside former campmate Joel Dommett and actress Emily Atack.
- Scott Thomas: Twin brother to Adam, the third Thomas brother, Scott, competed in series two of Love Island in 2016. He eventually coupled up with Kady McDermott, with the pair going on to finish third overall.
- He set up food and business Food4Thoughts during lockdown, with twin Adam putting £100k of his own cash into it. Unfortunately, the business ultimately went bust after it racked up debts of £366,143.
He claims a couple of contestants dropped out due to the haystack challenge.
He said: “I’ll watch it, of course.
“I want to see how it has been put together, plus we put time and effort into the show.
“I’m still in touch with some of the contestants, we have a group chat and speak regularly which is really nice – even though what’s bonded us is this traumatic event.”
A spokesperson from ITV‘s 99 To Beat said: “A small number of contestants received medical attention after having an adverse reaction to hay while participating in a game.
“Contributor welfare remains our top priority, and this production was assessed and monitored in line with our robust health and safety processes and in consultation with external health and safety advisors.”