KFC Radio – “Brianna Chickenfry & Ravi Patel Tell INSANE Stories About Their Time On Special Forces”

Podcast: KFC Radio (Barstool Sports)
Hosts: Kevin Clancy (KFC), John Feitelberg, Jackie
Guests: Brianna Chickenfry (“Bri”), Ravi Patel
Original Air Date: September 4, 2025

Overview

This lively episode of KFC Radio dives into wild stories of mental and physical endurance as Brianna Chickenfry and Ravi Patel candidly relive their harrowing experiences filming Fox’s upcoming “Special Forces.” What begins as a casual promo evolves into a vivid, no-filter account of what it’s really like to confront your deepest fears (claustrophobia, waterboarding, truly gross bucket bathrooms) on a celebrity military training show. Along the way, the KFC crew also tackles social media controversies, the strange machine behind viral fame, NBA legal drama, and more.

Episode Highlights & Key Topics

I. Everyday Chatter: The Realities of Barstool Celebrity and Life Online

• Barstool banter: Jackie, KFC, and John open with laid-back, often self-deprecating talk about city living, social media breaks, and the downsides of viral fame
• Social media toxicity (09:58–17:00)
  • The Sydney Sweeney “fake controversy”—how a non-existent tweet snowballs into a culture war proxy
  • KFC: “This is how the Internet spirals completely out of control...and unless you are savvy...you just go with it.” (16:20)
• Manipulation and propaganda online: References to pop-culture “engagement farming,” the CIA’s infamous “Winds of Change,” and the strategic engineering of outrage for clicks.

II. The Fame Factory: Influencers, Internet Celebs, & Old School Stars

• Who survives internet fame? (23:00–32:00)
  • “If you’re not playing by these rules and you don’t have deep pockets and you’re not scratching the right backs...there’s just a ceiling.” – KFC (21:50)
  • Speculation on sustainability of influencer hype vs. old-school movie star mystique
• Are podcasts oversaturated? Fear of replacement in an always-on podcast world: “There’s so much competition, so much content. It’s a hard one to navigate.” (34:38)
• Drake & Bobby Altoff “conspiracy”: Were they secretly hooking up? KFC and Jackie speculate with tongue-in-cheek admissions about how viral rumor and real behavior bleed together (63:04–70:00).

III. NBA Scandal: The Clippers’ $28 Million “Tree Company”

• KFC explains complex NBA salary cap drama involving star Kawhi Leonard, the Clippers, and shady endorsement deals (44:29–58:00)
  • “Super illegal...The whole point of the cap is, like, you can’t go over it.” (46:24)
  • Big money means big cheats and rich owner “Mexican standoffs”: “...he would probably burn it all down. He would probably expose everyone else’s secrets.” (49:47)
• Discussion about money laundering, tax evasion, and how sports business mirrors the shadier side of Hollywood and media.

IV. Viral Outrage, Product Endorsements & the Commodification of Celebrity

• Endorsement empires: Speculation about which industries are most lucrative; makeup and alcohol dominate, “clothing lines not so much anymore.” (43:06–44:29)
• Sydney Sweeney’s career hustling: “...for her brand...her brand is so girl next door...if she puts herself on the level of like, too unattainable, then I think it takes away from her brand a little bit.” – Jackie (37:39)

Main Event: SPECIAL FORCES STORIES (101:02–151:34)

A. Why the Hell Did They Sign Up?

• Ravi’s reason: Wants Fox hosting gigs, loves “hard things,” admits to a little-man complex and need to prove himself — but also frank about personal tragedy motivating fitness and challenge (110:09–112:42).
  • "The only thing I could control was my health...That was the beginning of just trying to transform my body..." – Ravi (112:42)
• Bri’s reason: Had almost zero preparation—ran a half-mile once, quit vaping cold-turkey, started the show during her period, and walked in “blind” (113:28–114:02).

B. The Show is Even More Brutal Than It Looks (114:29–119:12)

• No TV “comforts”: living conditions are truly extreme—cots, military base, two pairs of underwear, no mirrors, no snacks, almost no “safety net”
• “It's not a TV show. Like you’re living in this world for however long you last.” — Bri (117:14)
• "No safe word....What's crazy about this show is it is crazier than it even looks on TV." – Ravi (116:48)

C. Insane Physical & Psychological Challenges

• Claustrophobic underground tunnel challenge: “I have a full-blown panic attack...If I didn't have [Ravi] behind me I think I would've...tapped out.” – Bri (115:13–116:29)
• Waterboarding, heights, interrogation, darkness, explosives: “I was chained to a fence with a bag over my head for 25 hours...headphones with pig murder sounds...then waterboarded.” – Bri (148:11)
• No real escape: producers routinely refuse withdrawal in-episode; “They wouldn’t let her quit” (126:11)
• Hygiene and privacy trauma: “Taking shits in buckets next to each other with your eye...” (118:22), showering in underwear, sleep deprivation, constant pain, and open injuries.

D. Emotional Toll, Forced Vulnerability & Camaraderie (121:05–122:23)

• “They force you to, like, tell everyone your deepest, darkest secrets. Like, they made us sit in a circle one night and...we’re all sobbing.” – Bri (121:45)
• Genuine bonds, gallows humor, and a sense of “war buddy” closeness develop, aided by shared suffering.

E. Production, Pay, and Aftermath

• “You could just leave and you still get paid.” – Bri (151:14)
• Both would do it again: “If they did an all star league, whatever? Yeah, no, I would totally do it again.” – Bri (146:03)
• Post-show trauma/comedown described by both—psych evaluations, mood swings, physical bruising, toenail loss
  • "At the end when the psychiatrist sits down with you and goes...just so you know, you're going to have trauma as a result of this experience." – Ravi (147:11)

F. Who Was the Worst? The Cast Dynamics (124:24–125:17)

• Only one truly divisive cast member: “Cody Brown, the Sister Wives guy...He had, like, multiple wives, like 28 kids...always giving motivational speeches...” — Bri (124:40)
• Most everyone else proved surprisingly tough and less “insufferable” than expected.

Memorable Quotes & Moments (with Timestamps)

• On social media manipulation:
  “This is how the Internet spirals completely out of control...unless you are savvy or a nerd like me...you just go with it.” – KFC (16:20)
• On influencer fatigue:
  “If you’re not playing by these rules...there’s just a ceiling.” – KFC (21:50)
• On Special Forces brutality:
  "There was no safe word. What's crazy about this show is it is crazier than it even looks on TV." – Ravi (116:48)
• On bucket-bathroom humiliation:
  “Taking shits in buckets next to each other with your eye. So this is like...walls up to here. So while you're shitting, people in front of you washing their underwear...” – Bri (118:24)
• On being forced to bare your soul:
  “They force you, like, all the physical aside, to tell everyone your deepest, darkest secrets...we're all sobbing.” – Bri (121:45)
• Would they do it again?
  Q: Would you do it again?
  “Yeah, no, I would totally do it again.” – Bri (146:03)
  “Me too.” – Ravi (146:11)
• On trauma after the show:
  "At the end the psychiatrist sits down with you and goes...'Just so you know, you're going to have trauma as a result of this experience.'" – Ravi (147:11)
• On quitting and getting paid:
  “Someone left the first day. Like, you could just leave and you still get paid.” – Bri (151:14)
• Summing it up:
  “Let me just move our entire house with my two kids while my husband’s, like, playing Marine.” – KFC (143:45)

Notable Lighter Moments

• Jackie on hypothetical “big dick energy”:
  Jackie: “I actually know in my heart that I would have a massive dick.” (94:19)
• On men’s vs women’s clothing:
  “Girls can put on a cheap dress and look hot. A guy puts on cheap clothes—you look, like, cheap.” – KFC (87:49)

Conclusion

This episode is an unvarnished look at the absurd and sometimes traumatic highs and lows of public life—from internet fame to the literal trenches of military simulation reality TV. Brianna and Ravi’s reflections move beyond sensational clips to reveal a raw, unexpectedly emotional journey—one that left them battered, proud, and just crazy enough to sign up again. In true KFC Radio style, hard truths and dark humor keep things both hilarious and uncomfortably real throughout.

Special Forces with Brianna Chickenfry & Ravi Patel premieres September 25 on Fox.

Next episode: Who will get publicly humiliated next—on the Internet or in a bucket? Tune in to find out.