The winner of this reality competition, adapted from the famous Squid Game series, is May Whelan, a 55-year-old Vietnamese refugee who has served as a judge. Reports note the confirmation of this result in multiple outlets.
Whelan took home the grand prize of 4.56 million dollars, with the funds scheduled to be deposited into her account on January 5, 2024.
She has shared that a portion of the winnings will support a planned future stay in a nursing home, and she also intends to donate to charitable causes that are meaningful to her.
May Whelan was born in Vietnam and fled the country at the close of the Vietnam War in 1975, when she was eight years old. She has recalled the fear and uncertainty of those early days, including memories of refugees lying on runways and the moment a soldier briefly pointed a weapon at her during a dangerous incident in childhood.
Squid Game first premiered in October 2021 and quickly became Netflix’s most-watched series of all time. The show earned six Emmy Awards in 2022, including Outstanding Lead Actor and Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series, highlighting its global impact and storytelling reach.
In recent coverage, reports mention a separate incident involving an actor and discussions around a provocative scene, illustrating how narratives from the show continue to generate conversation beyond the screen.
There have also been public discussions about personal relationships and high-profile celebrity interactions in entertainment media, reflecting how celebrity news often intersects with popular culture narratives surrounding the series and its cast.