To challenge himself, 74-year-old retiree Danny Yeo spontaneously decided to sign up for Netflix reality show "Squid Game: The Challenge" in June 2022.

Fast-forward more than a year, and Yeo actually made it as the only Singaporean amongst the 456 contestants who took part in the first season of the 10-episode show.

Taking inspiration from the award-winning 2021 series, contestants participate in a series of challenges based off South Korean children's games, with the last one standing winning a cash prize of US$4.56 million (S$6.14 million).

The show was produced by British companies Studio Lambert and The Garden, and aired on Nov. 22.

Signed up in June

Yeo said in an interview with The Straits Times (ST) that he had signed up for the contest to challenge himself.

The freelance actor had come across casting calls for the show on Facebook in June 2022 and decided to give it a try, sending in a one-minute video of himself as part of the application.

And when he was called up for a spot, Yeo went for it without hesitation.

"My philosophy is not 'you only live once' (YOLO) but 'you only die once'," he quipped.

Yeo went through multiple rounds of interviews, a health checkup and psychiatric evaluation before being confirmed as a player in December 2022.

He was then flown to London to film the show in January.

Made brief appearance, eliminated in first game

Unfortunately for Yeo, he was eliminated in the first game of the series, "Red Light Green Light".

Nevertheless, he said in a post on Instagram on Nov. 23 that he was glad to have been selected for the contest.

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A post shared by Danny Yeo Eng Chin (@danthedamnlah)

Yeo shared a picture of himself clad in the iconic dark green uniforms worn by the show's contestants.

He was player No. 164.

Yeo could be seen in a split-second scene in the background during the show's first episode.

How he got eliminated

"Red Light Green Light", the only game Yeo got to try, required contestants to make it past a finish line across an open area without getting caught.

Those who moved during the "Red Light" period would be eliminated.

However, one challenge participants faced was the cold -- this game was filmed in a UK aircraft hanger in sub-zero temperatures.

Yeo told ST that at one point, he had to hold a half-squat position during "Red Light" for a good 20 to 25 minutes.

The first five to 10 minutes were manageable, but as time ticked on in the freezing conditions, he admitted he was at a disadvantage as one of the older contestants there.

Would go again

According to Yeo, the other contestants spanned a wide age range -- from those in their youth to seniors above 70 years of age.

He pointed out that the atmosphere would be intense at times, with some contestants doing warm-ups before the games.

For Yeo, he never thought he would win the S$4.56 million, but he was glad for the experience.

Despite the result, he was grateful for the chance to meet people from all over the world.

And if the show spawned a sequel, Yeo admitted he would be game to try it again.

"If there were to be a 'Squid Game: the Challenge 2', I will apply for it. It was a great experience," he said.

You can watch Yeo's interview here:

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Top image from Danny Yeo on Instagram.