Several fan favorites emerged from the first season of Squid Game: The Challenge, but perhaps the most popular was Stephen Lomas — player No. 243. So, what happened to Stephen during Netflix’s fierce reality competition show, and what has been up to afterward? Let’s dive in, and of course, spoilers are ahead!
The centerpiece and focal point of Stephen’s campaign for the multi-million dollar payday was his heartwarming relationship with 69-year-old physician, Rick (No. 232). Stephen, who was 30 years old at the time of filming, latched onto Rick as a father figure, and the two worked together in lockstep with their “Gganbu Gang” alliance until their untimely demise.
Stephen flew from Missouri to England to compete in the inaugural season alongside his friend, Chase. Although the former safely traversed across the finish line during the first game — “Red Light, Green Light” — the same couldn’t be said about Chase. Chase was eliminated, shot, and sent back to the United States while Stephen pressed on.
Then, an admittedly “needy” Stephen joined forces with the much-older Rick, saying in a confessional that his own father wasn’t in his life anymore. Netflix spent a lot of time on their bond during the first five episodes, including when they survived “Warship” together.
They also passed “Dalgona,” the infamous cookie-carving heart-stopper from Squid Game proper.
But, as alluded to, Stephen and Rick were abruptly eliminated, and their opportunity at $4.56 million was ripped away at the hands of No. 229 Phalisia. After clocking the all-male Gganbu Gang alliance in episode 4, Phalisia took her shot during episode 5’s “Trick or Treat.”
She volunteered as one of five players for a dormitory elimination test where each person had to choose a jack-in-the-box. Every toy gifted either an advantage in the next game, instant elimination, or the power to eject other players from Squid Game: The Challenge. As history has it, Phalisia revealed the contents of the final jack-in-the-box, which carried the task of sending home three players.
First, she eliminated No. 130 — the contestant who earlier had snagged an advantage. But then, she dropped the guillotine on Stephen followed by Rick. Just like that, the dynamic duo departed our television screens without any opportunity to save themselves.
Fans’ negative reaction to Phalisia’s decision was palpable, to say the least, which essentially confirmed how popular Stephen and Rick were among the crop of 456 hopefuls. The hate she received online was so great that Stephen had to step in and ask his fans to simmer down.
“I’ve been hearing things about Phalisia,” he said in a Gganbu Gang video call. “Stop being mean to Phalisia. If you’re in the comments, leave her alone and tell your friends to leave her alone. She made a good move. It just wasn’t a cool move — it was a good move.”
Screen Rant interviewed Stephen and Rick after episode 5 aired in November 2023, and they both shared their admiration for each other, even if their relationship led to a bigger target on their backs and eventually their downfall.
Stephen is a content creator with a sizeable social media presence
Before starring on Squid Game: The Challenge, Stephen had already enjoyed time under the spotlight as a TikTok content creator. Alongside his partner, Alix Blahnik, Stephen has the TikTok channel “Alix & Stephen Show” where they’ve seen several of their videos capture millions of views. He went viral before Netflix’s show aired with a video of him using his daughter, Miya, to retrieve a TV remote. At the time of this writing, his family-based channel has nearly 1.5 million followers and over 80 million likes.
Stephen’s also very active on Instagram, posting photos and videos of his family, social life, and fitness for his 220 thousand followers. It’s clear Stephen has focused on monetizing his Netflix star power by going all in as an influencer. He and Alix are all on several platforms, including YouTube and Snapchat, and he and Alix sell merchandise ranging from fanny packs to boxer briefs littered with Stephen’s face. Stephen’s also delved into the OnlyFans world, and is selling an adult-rated calendar.
If fans want a personalized video from Stephen, he’s also on Cameo where they can request shoutouts from the family man for $50.
Considering Stephen is now part of Netflix’s reality universe, don’t be surprised if he pops up on another series. And who knows, maybe he’ll get a second crack at a life-changing grand prize in Squid Game: The Challenge season 2.
