Brianna LaPaglia had no idea what she was signing up for when she joined Special Forces but by the time season 4 came to an end, the influencer had a newfound appreciation for herself — and friendships that will last a lifetime.
During the Thursday, November 20, season finale of the Fox series, LaPaglia, 26, was one of the finalists taking part in the last challenges, which was a far cry from where she started out when she first arrived in Morocco.
“When you think of TV shows, you think it can’t be that crazy. This is nothing like a normal reality TV show. This isn’t normal,” LaPaglia exclusively told Us Weekly about how filming Special Forces pushed her emotionally and physically. “I didn’t train at all for the show physically but I wish I did. Mentally, I watched maybe a few episodes and I was like, ‘What did I sign myself up for?’”
The doubt only got worse once LaPaglia was on the ground being trained — and yelled at — by the Directing Staff (DS) in charge of putting each recruit through strenuous challenges meant to test whether they were fit for selection.
‘Special Forces’ Cast Reveal the 1st Thing They Did When They Got Home
“They literally pulled me by my hair off the bus. It was traumatizing. We either have to lock in or get out,” she recalled. “I was most worried about the way DS interacts with you. I know that they’re supposed to — and they have to — but being yelled at and screamed at like that and how they put [me] down is traumatizing and scary in itself.”
LaPaglia acknowledged that the experience was “triggering” coming off a high-profile split from singer-songwriter Zach Bryan, saying, “In a dark way, I did feel like I could handle this because I’ve been through this. So I was like, ‘All right, I know how to react in these types of situations, sadly.’ I think I handled it pretty well.”
But that was only the beginning as, for the next 10 days, LaPaglia constantly questioned her future on the show. After each challenge, the podcaster pushed herself farther than she had ever gone before until she was near the finish line.
“We were being tortured for 20 hours. So at this point, I faced every single fear I ever had on the show,” she recalled about her final day of filming “I was more vulnerable than I had ever been in my whole entire life. I overcame so many things that I was going through both mentally and physically on this show. If I were to leave right now, I would be so proud of myself.”.
She continued of the final test, “I accomplished what I came here to do. Of course, if I knew it was five minutes before the show was over, I would have held out. I don’t even know how long we’ve been captured for because you don’t know what time it is. [But] I came here to do what I wanted to do and I’m satisfied with leaving.”
While LaPaglia didn’t walk away with a win, she formed friendships with fellow recruits — including winners Gia Giudice and Shawn Johnson East — that feel like the ultimate prize for her.
“I really struggled with self doubt on the show. Just minutes before this interview, I got a delivery and it was flowers from Shawn. She sent me flowers that said, ‘Please stop doubting yourself,’” LaPaglia revealed. “It’s really sweet. Throughout the show, I did learn that I self doubt a lot and wanted to quit but people like Shawn really got me through it.”
She continued: “The friendships that you make on the show — especially the ones where you know you’re really toward the end with other contestants — they do last a lifetime. I know everything about them and they know everything about me. Even if we don’t speak for a year, if we saw each other, it would feel like family.”
LaPaglia was grateful for the surprising highlight of filming the show, adding, “It really was so special. I didn’t know what I was going to come out with having gained from the show. I assumed it would be a lot of mental toughness and grit. I didn’t realize that I would also come out with such beautiful friendships that I’ll cherish forever.”
Who Failed Selection on Season 4 of ‘Special Forces’?
Despite ending that chapter of her life on a personal high, LaPaglia is candid about how she is still figuring herself out.
“This happened at the perfect time for me in my life. Being 26 and going on the show, like what’s going on? You think your 20s are going to be the best and most fun years of your life. In hindsight, it’s literally like, ‘Am I in hell?’” she joked to Us. “Is this actual hell in every sense of the way? This show happened at the perfect turning point and it’s allowed me to grow up and show this new side of myself to new audiences.”
LaPaglia is still implementing lessons she picked up from Special Forces into her day-to-day life, sharing, “I also learned the importance of working with a team instead of just making decisions for yourself. … I realized how important it is to just say what’s on your mind and to own it. It made me fall in love with my personality again. The past year, I was stripped of that and on the show, it reminded me that I am great and people do love me. I like myself again.”
Now LaPaglia is looking ahead after wrapping up her “BFFs” podcast, relaunching her “PlanBri Uncut” podcast and expanding into other mediums.
“Bringing ‘PlanBri’ back now is the perfect full circle moment for me. It gets to showcase this new chapter of my life that I got to show on Special Forces and just where I am at now,” she shared. “My dream has always been to get into writing and directing. That’s where I’m heading and where I want to go. I’m so grateful for ‘BFFs’ and that podcast because it got me here.”
Special Forces is currently streaming on Hulu.
