Inside: USA season 1 premiere recap: Twelve creators enter the house chasing $1 million

Inside: USA made its debut on Netflix, with the first four episodes releasing on September 21, 2025.

The series, created by UK-based collective the Sidemen, brings 12 creators and personalities together under one roof for seven days, with a shared $1 million prize fund on the line.

But every purchase or failure in a challenge cuts into that total, making the balance shrink as the week goes on.

Hosted by streamer Valkyrae and content creator Fanum, the U.S. edition follows two successful international runs and adds a mix of reality stars, influencers, athletes, and online personalities.

Contestants include Dwight Howard, Ekin-Su, Alissa Violet, Zach Justice, Max Fosh, Aisha Mian, and others.

The premiere episode, titled “Eyes on the Prize”, introduced the cast, the Sidemen, and the structure of the game while setting up early rivalries and testing the players with their first challenge.

By the end of the opening episode, the prize money had already dipped to $941,100, showing how quickly the stakes could shift inside the house.

Cast introductions, first impressions, and house dynamics in Inside: USA

The first episode of Inside: USA opened with the hosts explaining the format before each of the 12 contestants entered the house.

NBA legend Dwight Howard was among the first to comment, saying:

“My first impression of the house is, it has the bare minimums,” while also noting he was looking forward to resting there.

As the group settled in, playful banter quickly set the tone. Fannita joked that Zach should sleep on the sofa cushions since he was the last to enter.

Soon after, the Sidemen arrived, sharing their background and how the Inside franchise had gone viral in the UK before expanding to Netflix.

The cast wasted no time exploring the in-house store. Jay and Sketch bought two bags of chips, while Fannita upgraded her meal during lunch.

These early purchases hinted at how difficult it would be to balance comfort with the prize pool.

During a confessional, Sketch observed,

“I feel Fannita’s gonna dominate a lot of this stuff. And she either, in my mind, is going to go home early or she’s going to run a lot of the game.”

Tensions began to surface as the players sized each other up. Some contestants leaned into humor, while others immediately started strategizing in Inside: USA. 

First challenge puts honesty and comfort to the test in Inside: USA

The group’s first test came in the Insider Dating Challenge. Pairs were seated at tables with menus of uncomfortable questions.

If a player refused to answer, they could hit a red button, costing the group $10,000.

The challenge combined truth-telling with unusual tasks, from eating extreme foods to handling insects and animals.

The first pair, Alissa and Sketch, faced scorpions and pointed questions. Sketch reminded her that she had been called “the meanest girl in LA,” leading Alissa to name Tana Mongeau.

When asked who she thought was a clout chaser, Alissa said,

“Jay, I think it’s you, because you are becoming friends with Dwight.”

Later, Sketch revealed that he believed the conspiracy theory “we didn’t go to the moon” and also called Jay the least smart Insider.

Dwight and Aisha faced a spicy chip at 135,600 Scoville heat units before answering questions.

Dwight named Tristan Thompson as the most overrated NBA player “because he went with a Kardashian.”

On who would be the most annoying housemate, he also pointed to Jay.

Aisha’s questions included choosing who she would save in a burning building, and she answered her mom, adding, Since her twin is "already half of her, she doesn’t need her.”

She also labeled Zach as someone who might be doing it for the cameras.

Zach and Jay’s pairing involved waxing their legs while answering, adding a physical discomfort element.

Other contestants also took part, with questions and dares that revealed early opinions and drew laughs, but also started to expose potential conflicts.

By the end of the challenge in Inside: USA, the prize total had fallen to $941,100, a clear sign that each test would carry real financial consequences for the group.
Stay tuned for more updates.