Why Is ‘Special Forces’ Star Brianna LaPaglia Called ‘Chickenfry’? Her Nickname Explained

Just five participants are left heading into the finale of Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test. One of those is Brianna LaPaglia, who has pushed herself through physical and mental obstacles to make it to the final day of the course.

LaPaglia is introducing herself to a whole new audience on the competition show, separating herself from her online persona a bit. In fact, on Special Forces, there’s rarely a reference to her viral nickname, “Chickenfry,” which she goes by online.

Scroll down to learn more about what LaPaglia does and how she got her famous nickname.

Why is Brianna LaPaglia called ‘Chickenfry’?

LaPaglia has been using her online moniker for years. It stemmed from a video she posted on the social media app Vine, which shut down in 2017.

“I made a Vine where I thought my leg looked like a Burger King chicken fry, and then it went viral and I’m like, ‘I’m gonna stick with the Chickenfry name,'” she explained on the Lightweights podcast.

When LaPaglia created her TikTok account, she included “Chickenfry” in her handle, and the rest is history!

What is Brianna LaPaglia famous for?

LaPaglia became famous after her videos about hangovers started going viral on TikTok. She received a DM from Barstool Sports asking her to come to New York and she was offered an internship with the company while she was still in college. Barstool publishes sports and pop-culture related content.

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After starting the internship while at school in Cleveland, LaPaglia eventually decided to drop out and pursue a career online instead of her original pre-med track. She relocated to New York and continued building her online brand while working full-time at Barstool.

LaPaglia became a Barstool staple. In addition to continuing to post her own online content, she began hosting the BFFs podcast with Josh Richards and Barstool founder Dave Portnoy (Portnoy left the pod in 2024 and it ended for good in October 2025). LaPaglia also hosts her solo podcast, PlanBri Uncut.

Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test, Season 4 Finale, Thursday, November 20, 9/8c, Fox