Squid Game: The Challenge cast members reveal how they prepared for show – and why it ended up being a waste of time

Squid Game: The Challenge has returned for a second outing, with brand new games and even higher stakes and, of course, 456 players all vying for the chance to win a $4.56 million cash prize.

Among those players are twin brothers Raul and Jacob, who entered the game with a game plan that ultimately backfired.

During the first season of Squid Game: The Challenge, much like the drama series, the players took part in the infamous Red Light, Green Light, which Raul and Jacob assumed would be the case once more – but they couldn't have been more wrong.

In an exclusive interview with RadioTimes.com, Raul said: "Because in season 1, they entered in Red Light, Green Light, I assumed that it was going to be Red Light, Green Light as well, because it's such a big game."

Instead, the first game was The Count, a never-before-seen game that played a monumental role in determining the rest of the competition, which saw the players almost half in number.

Raul continued: "So entering the room was a bit of a throw off and then obviously, the first game, the test, that was quite intense, really intense.

"So yeah, it was definitely not we were expecting. But I think it was just made us really just focus on what was happening at the time."

Jacob told RadioTimes.com that he and Raul were "prepared" for Red Light, Green Light so much so that they didn't drink any water or eat any food.

"So we just really prepared and it wasn't that so it was just a bit like [we] wasted loads," he added.

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In the first game, both Raul and Jacob found themselves split up, meaning only one of them could continue in the game – or so they thought.

Speaking of the moment they were split up, Jacob said: "To be honest, I was just quite overwhelmed about the situation. Being in the crowd with my twin [and then] all the sudden you're in front of the crowd.

"We just looked at each other, like, 'What is going on, what's gonna happen?' It's quite overwhelming. So my brain was just like, 'Right, We just need to try our hardest. Whatever happens, happens. If we're going to go against each other, that happens, but we'll both try hardest and see what happens next."

"I mean, the funny thing is, is that we went into the game wanting to stay together, and the first thing that happens is we're split up and going probably against each other," Raul added. "So I was just assuming, 'Oh my God, it's happened. The worst case scenario has happened', and then obviously the rest of it is history. Our game plan just went out the window, staying low key, staying together, just completely left."

The first four episodes of Squid Game: The Challenge season 2 are available to watch now on Netflix. Sign up for Netflix from £5.99 a month. Netflix is also available on Sky Glass and Virgin Media Stream.

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