The horror-themed Netflix thriller Squid Game swept the nation when it aired in 2021 and shined a new light on Korean entertainment while skyrocketing to one of Netflix’s most-watched series of all time.
Promotional poster for “Squid Game” | Netflix
The Korean series sparked a craze as fans dressed like the characters for Halloween, sought out a piece of dalgona and a needle to recreate one of the challenges, and even prominent YouTubers, such as MrBeast (also known as Jimmy Donaldson), filmed their own version of the survival game.
Your browser does not support video.A clip from MrBeast’s “$456,000 Squid Game In Real Life!” video | MrBeast/YouTube
As fans eagerly waited for news on the show’s second season, Netflix announced they would be creating a “real life” Squid Game, beginning production on the reality competition show earlier this year.
Squid Game: The Challenge was officially released on November 22, with 456 contestants competing for a chance to win $4.56 million USD, the largest
| Netflix
Among the contestants stood one person who may be familiar to K-Pop fans, as he debuted in the group BTL in 2014 and currently co-hosts the popular podcast Korean Cowboys with fellow K-Pop idol, former NU’EST‘s Aron.
Joel Jay Lane, also known as Jay, revealed in an Instagram post that he was excited to finally announce that he was a contestant on the show, after keeping it a secret until it aired.
I am so blessed to have been able to represent Korea in the most successful Netflix brand of all time. It was an amazing opportunity and I hope you all enjoy the work we all put into making this amazing show.
— Joel Jay Lane
Netizens rushed to share their support for Joel in the comment section of the announcement post, congratulating him on the surprise appearance on the show.
| @joeljaylane/Instagram
The first five episodes of the show are now available to watch on Netflix!
Joel wasn’t the only celebrity cast member. Check out more on that in the article below:
Love It Or Hate It? Netflix’s “Squid Game” Reality Show Adds A Shocking, New Plot Twist
