‘Survivor 51’ Castoff Brady Booker on That “Toxicity” Comment, Starving Through Challenges and What It Means to Be a “Brodie”

Professional wrestler Brady brought plenty of energy, intensity and a whole lot of “brodies” to Survivor 51, but his aggressive gameplay ultimately caught up with him at the merge. After a chaotic Tribal Council saw even his closest allies turn against him in a 9-4 vote on the Nov. 4 episode, the normally outspoken Brady left without saying a word. In his exit interview with The Hollywood Reporter below, Brady explains his unusually quiet departure, responds to Jelly’s harsh criticism of his behavior and reveals just how much the lack of food affected him physically and emotionally.

Let’s start with your exit. You’re a pretty outgoing guy, so it was surprising to see you leave without saying a word. What was going through your mind at that moment?

I figured I was going to get some votes, but when I got to about six, I started to “read the room.” When Jeff [Probst, host] reads that last vote, it’s like a flash bang goes off. Everything just went “Eek!” and my soul left my body. When I do something brodie, I do it 110 percent. I’m balls to the wall. And when the competition ends, when that weight falls off you, you almost go back to being a regular person.

I know that’s tough for people to believe. I do always have this energy, but man, it’s a different animal when I’m competing. I’ve done it at a high level with high intensity. I find that chaos fun, which is maybe why I tried to turn the game into a little bit of chaos myself. But me walking out and not saying anything was that quick thought of, “Do I blow up the game?” And that’s not how I would want it to be played. Now it’s my job to be on the jury.

AAs I’m walking up there, you realize the surreal moment of what you’re going through. Only so many people have actually got to go through that. I took it all in — took in Jeff’s beautiful face one last time — and then I took my walk.

Maggie, Kilby and Kristin all seemed to be firmly in your corner, yet all three voted against you. Did you see any signs they might turn on you, or did those votes completely blindside you?

No, because I was worried about Kristin from the jump once Mike blew that all up. She wanted to believe me, but then I guess as it came closer to tribal and people started to hear numbers; she just ended up believing what the numbers were at. Kilby was advocating for me during tribal. But with the drama he had with Eric and him not wanting to write his name down again because I guess that’s the other option, he was looking out for his game. Then Carter and Lewis, both their names were getting thrown out. I guess that wasn’t shown as much, but they were also worried about themselves. So I appreciate them riding or dying for your boy.

But no one’s pulling me aside telling me it’s the vote. No one came up to me and said, “It’s you.” And then with Thien An, she was a ride or die. Same thing with her. She never told me. I wish I would’ve prioritized that relationship a little bit more because of Thien An being so smart and being a ride or die. That’s something I may have overlooked. I truly didn’t have a number one. I was bouncing back and forth. At first, I thought it’d be Dev publicly, and then I thought it’d be Kilby because once the cool kids and the nerds split up, I thought I was going nerd side.

I knew I couldn’t fit in with the cool kids. This personality, I get it. brodies are either going to love or hate me, but all I’m trying to do is elicit that reaction, so I get it and have fun doing it. I was going to Kilby, but then Kilby puts his foot in his mouth saying that stuff, and they were feeding me that he was a bad guy. I think Dev’s my number one, but in reality, Dev never was working with me because they had that previous alliance on the beach of their five that they prioritized over everything. And then thinking Maggie could be my number one when we find the boat together, but Maggie’s so frantic and we butt heads like a mom and son.

Speaking of Maggie, your relationship with her was interesting. You trusted her with your extra vote and you were clearly working together, but you also seemed to be in conflict at times. Was the dynamic between you two, as you said, mother-son.

Definitely. And after that first tribal where I got blindsided and I thought she was on my side. After the extra vote, Maggie saw a little bit of spice in me when I was a bulldozer or whatever, and that’s just me. When the stress is up, the intensity is up. I may be at two and they think I’m at a 10. So that’s where me and Maggie’s relationship fell there.

I was a little too much brodie for her, and I get it. I love Maggie as a human being. She’s a fun player. It’s sad that she thinks I’m out here leaking everything because Dev actually walked up to me and Carter and was like, “Hey, are we going to tie Mike into this vote?” And that’s when we went over and told Mike. So great gameplay move by Dev; just further proves that Dev never really gave a crap about your brodie. I mean, dude’s great at playing to someone’s emotions. I bought into it. He’s an actor. Good for him.

Unfortunately, Mike, we had this issue at Toka 2.0 that I wasn’t really caught up on. I figured we had such a good relationship that he would bring that up to me. I’m a pretty outspoken, say whatever you want, dog. We can talk. And it seems like he’s just not that type of guy. Misread that. I was actually the only person filling him in on 2.0 Beach. He would’ve got no other information.

Before Patt got voted out, you would see Mike attached to Patt’s hip. You’d see them joke around, talk around, getting intimate and intricate information. But with me he would have very bland talks, very business, small talk, move on, very bland, boring. So I guess I’m glad that I could give him a little bit of personality, get him all spiced up and fired up at me. But all I was trying to do was keep brodie involved in the game.

You and Kilby had mentioned at the start, right after the merge, that Mike was the person you were going to target. If he hadn’t won immunity, do you think the roles would be reversed and he’d be out and you’d still be in the game?

Oh, 100 percent. If Mike doesn’t turn on me there, I still may be trying to be like, “Well, are you sure Mike?” Maybe a bigger threat or maybe Eric, because he’s someone’s extra number. And that’s when I probably should have refocused. The Kristin vote was getting thrown out there and it was only out there because everyone’s deathly afraid of her. She’s Moby Dick and we got to all team up to be Captain Ahab. I’ve never seen a more prepared, strategic, even keel player. If I got on the beach with Kristin day one, that’s who I would’ve died on that beach to make my number one. I knew after her making relationships with other people coming to us, she’s awesome. I knew how much I loved her then.

Jelly had some pretty harsh words about you, saying you brought “a level of toxicity to this game that no one needs” and were always trying to take control. Did you have any idea she felt that way, and what’s your reaction to hearing that now?

No, absolutely not. I mean, she’s bitter for some reason, but she was bitter with me from episode one. She always thought I was a big dumb jock. I’m not surprised. She was so bitter, but I never did anything to her to make her feel that type of way and control her game.

I guess the only person I could understand that from is Mike or maybe even Maggie because I’m like, “Hey, let me dictate this.” But that was never the notion or ever had any malice or stuff like that. I don’t think there’s toxicity. I think I’m reactive. I’m passionate, and I think that I was totally misunderstood by Jelly, but that’s because she spends her time in a sociology professor’s office and not in a ring and not on the field and not in my neck of the woods.

I recently spoke with Kamilla Karthigesu on my Next Time on…Survivor podcast, and she mentioned that bigger guys like David Kinne and Jonathan Young seemed to struggle more with the lack of food. Given your size, how much did hunger affect you out there, and do you think it influenced how you interacted with other players?

It affects everybody, but my God, brodie, hell yes, does it affect me. When we were in those challenges, I’d flip a switch. I’d find that competitor in me and I’d dig deep, and that’s where all that intensity and passion and emotion comes from, because you got to dig deep to really perform and push yourself on nothing. When we finished that one where Mike shot the hoop and everyone’s running to get in there, I grabbed onto the floatie because I thought I was going to drown. I was so out of breath.

When he [Jeff Probst] brought us to the merge feast and he’s like, “Hey, you’re going to have to earn it.” I didn’t have it anymore. I was passing out. I’d stand up too soon. I’d go back down. I’d be in the middle of a conversation. I’d find myself sleeping. I’m like, “What the heck’s going on?” So I mean, I was running on fumes and all that emotion and passion.

Before I let you go, we need to settle something. Give me your definition of “brodie.”

It’s an endearing term. It’s a welcoming term. I’m terrible with names. When I was in college, when the brodies come over, when we go to the bars, “Brodies going to the bars, going to the club!” It’s just me having a good time, having camaraderie between people. It’s a little bit more personal. It’s inviting. When I went to WWE, there’s 110 people with 10 different names and I can barely remember 10 names. So I just started “brodie,” and then if some of the chicks didn’t want to be called brodie, “Hey, what up, brodette.” It helped me just keep a good repertoire with people without having to get their name wrong because people get real offended by that.

Listen, you can call me Brady, brodie,or dumbass. Just don’t call me before 8 a.m. It’s just a real good way to connect with people. So if you got a problem with that? Then, man, you don’t have enough problems.

Survivor airs new episodes Wednesday at 8 p.m. on CBS, streaming on Paramount+.