LeAnn & Trey Have No Hard Feelings After Squid Game: The Challenge

Squid Game: The Challenge’s LeAnn Wilcox Plutnicki (302) was about to fall asleep in her bunk bed when she realized her son and fellow competitor Trey Plutnicki (301) might need a pre-bedtime strategy talk. She whispered for him to cover his mic, which would’ve violated the game’s rules, but he refused.

“I was like, ‘Trey! You have to stop following all the rules all the time!’” LeAnn recalls to Bustle. “You have to beg for forgiveness, not ask permission.”

With a $4.56 million grand prize on the line, her self-preservationist logic was essential in the Netflix competition, whose structure is inspired by the original 2021 scripted Korean drama. And viewers were rooting for the tight mother-son duo, especially after their tearful, unwavering support for each other in Episode 1’s opening game, Red Light, Green Light.

Neither were favorites in Red Light, Green Light. Six months before filming Squid Game, Trey, a 25-year-old Chicago-based delivery driver, had experienced a collapsed lung. And while LeAnn, a 64-year-old retired New York Times editor from suburban New Jersey, was the first woman at Kansas State to receive a full-ride basketball scholarship, she entered the TV show with only one “useful knee.”

Spoilers ahead. They survived until Episode 6, when Trey eliminated his mom in a game of marbles. His luck ran out in the following episode’s Glass Bridge game. After the majority of contestants agreed on a strategy — each player would take one risky jump in order to find a safe path — Ashley (278) refused to overtake Trey. He stuck to the original game plan, which led to his elimination.

The backlash was swift. Many fans labeled Ashley the “villain,” especially since she reinstated the strategy soon after. (She was eventually eliminated in Episode 9.)

Today, Trey has “no lingering hard feelings” against her. “In the game, of course, I was upset. Everybody is so nice and almost conflict-averse until their elimination is on the line,” he tells Bustle. “I don’t blame her for looking at me taking all these jumps and going, ‘Oh, he’s just going to take another jump. I just have to stand here and say nothing.’”

LeAnn agrees. “Ashley was sure that Trey was going to do something stupid, and she was right,” she jokes. “It was a villainous move, but she’s not a villain.”

Below, the mother and son discuss strategy, a saucy scene that was cut, and their reality TV futures.

Trey, your Squid Game bio says you “convinced” your mom to come on the show with you. How did you sell it to her?

Trey: There wasn’t much convincing. When I sent in my tape, they asked if I knew anybody who wanted to apply. I suggested my childhood best friend and another close friend. My childhood best friend told my sister I was applying, who then told my mom. She sent me a text, like, “I’m right here!”

LeAnn: I’m like, “I’m doing nothing! I’m retired! I’ll play!” I hadn’t watched the show…

Trey: It didn’t take any convincing whatsoever.

LeAnn: I didn’t know what I was doing, so it was good.

If you didn’t know what you were getting into, why did you want to sign up, LeAnn?

LeAnn: It seemed so fun. I’m retired, and it’s really easy to get into the same habits: It’s 4, it’s time for me to start dinner; it’s 6:30, I’m going to watch Wheel of Fortune or Jeopardy and have a glass of wine. This is an opportunity to expand what your universe is. It was so amazing.

In terms of strategy, did you consider hiding your relationship, or separating during games? Episode 3’s Warships was such a close call!

Trey: At the beginning, we decided we weren’t going to advertise our relationship, because we thought it would be threatening. We also didn’t know how many people would have relationships coming into the game. But once Red Light, Green Light happened, we decided it was a stupid idea. There was such an emotional catharsis. No one was going to buy that.

LeAnn: Especially when he’s crying at the end while I’m trying to get across. I was like, “Well, I guess that cat’s out of the bag.”

Trey: There were moments when we thought we should separate. I wanted to go in Line 3 for Dalgona, but she was adamant on Line 1. I also didn’t want to be in the same boat as her for Warships.

LeAnn: He was mad that whole game that we were in the five-person boat. I’m like, “I don’t know, it seems random,” so…

Trey: I was so mad.

LeAnn: He was so mad.

Trey: But ultimately, we decided our strategy was to play together.

LeAnn, you played it so cool during that big moment with Lorenzo’s “3-0-2 or three-hundred-and-two” line. What did you make of his retaliatory nomination in the dormitory?

LeAnn: I was really calm. I remember thinking, “C’mon, Lorenzo, you could’ve come up with a better line than that!” I don’t blame Lorenzo. It came out of left field. He only knew me from offering apples, and he thought that was the only reason I put his number up [for elimination].

When I turned to see who his group of friends were, I felt really bad, because I liked all of his friends. I started counting how many friends he had to make sure I wouldn’t be in the Top 3 [to be eliminated]. So I didn’t feel entirely safe. Trey was confident because he didn’t vote for Lorenzo, which blew my mind. It still does a little.

You still complimented Lorenzo’s crocheted interview outfit on social media.

LeAnn: I don’t have any hard feelings whatsoever. I loved that outfit so much that I immediately said, “Oh, I love this guy!” Everybody at my house watching was like, “What?!” But he’s iconic.

Trey: That outfit’s crazy. It was awesome.

LeAnn: I kind of want the hat?

Trey: The bag.

LeAnn: Oh, my God, I loved that handbag. That was beautiful.

Did you get a chance to tell Lorenzo any of that after filming?

LeAnn: I went into his DMs and just said, “Hey, I loved your outfit.” He said, “I have zero hard feelings. You were playing the game.” That made me so happy. So we had a little back and forth.

Starting out with 456 contestants, I’m sure you filmed plenty that ended up on the cutting room floor. What’s one thing you wish fans could have seen?

Trey: We did a talent show in there with the Top 70. Eric [215], who’s from Donegal, Ireland, was the emcee. It was like eight or 10 acts. Some people sang. I juggled with Roland. We did a few tricks, and he did a backflip. I pretended to do a backflip.

LeAnn: It didn’t bring down the house quite like the fake striptease.

Who did the striptease?!

Trey: It was a guy named Chad [210].

LeAnn: He’s a stripper!

Trey: He dances in Vegas for Thunder Down Under.

I’ve seen fans nominate you for Survivor, The Amazing Race, and The Challenge. Would you sign up for another reality competition?

Trey: Oh, 100%!

LeAnn: Amazing Race would be great! I could not do Survivor; he could.

Trey: For the two of us, I think Amazing Race is at the top of the list. Survivor, The Mole, and…

LeAnn: The Traitors!

Trey: Yeah, The Traitors. Those would be my Top 3.

LeAnn: If I could get in the same room with Alan Cumming, other than having to pay for a Broadway ticket, that would be so great. How can you not love that guy?

This interview was edited and condensed for clarity.