Kyla Pratt Opens Up About Leaving ‘Special Forces’ With Only 2 Days Left In The Course: “Do I Really Want To Do Stuff Worse Than That?”

Kyla Pratt, who rose to fame voicing Penny Proud in the Disney Channel animated series The Proud Family, was the tenth recruit to withdraw from Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test in this week’s episode.

Pratt struggled to find her footing through much of Season 3, earning fail after fail after fail. Still, she kept her head up and forged through the brutal militaristic training exercises. According to the actress, it was the conversations she had in her own head that stopped her from voluntarily withdrawing from the course sooner.

“I was like, ‘What are they going to do tomorrow? It might be fun and I’m going to miss it, and then I’m not going to know what it is and they’re not gonna tell me until it comes on. This isn’t fair,’” she told DECIDER over a recent Zoom interview.

However, Pratt hit her limit on the eighth day of selection when the recruits were forced to hike up a mountain with heavy rocks in their backpacks. At that point, Pratt was dealing with a sinus infection, a hurt hamstring, and what she believes might have been a previously undiagnosed case of asthma. “I absolutely feel like I was very satisfied and happy with the time that I left,” she said. “I think if I would have left any time before that, I would have felt like I robbed myself of the experience.”

The star said she “proved enough” to herself and was “proud of everything” she did. Plus, she knew things would only get harder if she stayed. “I was like, ‘Do I really want to do stuff that’s worse than that? Yeah, no, I’m good. You guys have a good day,’” she said.

While chatting with DECIDER, Pratt also opened up about being forced to bury her fellow recruits, and how she was able to help former NFL quarterback Cam Newton through an emotional hurdle he faced this season. Check out the full interview below.

DECIDER: Hi, Kyla! I’m so used to seeing you in army gear.

KYLA PRATT: Girl, I’m like, yes, let me put makeup on for the next six months because, goodness gracious, watching it back it’s like, “Um, OK. That was a choice, Kyla.” And then even seeing Kayla [Nicole] with her eyelashes while we were there, I was like, “Damn! I should’ve gotten some eyelashes.” I didn’t do that properly. It’s so funny because … they’re like, “No nails.” Like, you’re not supposed to have anything done. And I was like, “Oh, well I have hard gel. That’ll be fine. Hard gel is not a big deal.” Girl, that hard gel was under my nails. There are so many things that you guys, as you’re watching, don’t even realize that we went through. 

You were truly tortured.

Absolute torture. I think one of the things they used was like, “It’s so crazy to come to such a beautiful place to be tortured.” And that’s exactly how I felt. I’m like, it’s so pretty. But now I feel like I never want to come here again. Like, this is traumatizing. 

You did such a good job though. Your performance the entire time was so admirable. Was it what you expected it to be? Looking back, how do you feel about your experience?

Thank you. No, it was not. I don’t even know what I really expected. I think that I was just excited to get the call. I have been a fan of the show since it started. I love competition reality shows. I’ve always been a very physical person. I love to work out, I love sports and a lot of people don’t usually see me in that way. So I was just really excited to get the call like when it came. I was like, “OK, I have to go to Wales? That’s far.” And I’m like, “For how long? I’m a mom.” So I’m like, “OK, that’s not too long. I’ve been away for a little longer. I think we can make this work.” And I was like, “I think it’ll be great! I think I’ll have fun. And I get to do exciting things.” 

Ma’am, when I got there, first of all, them being so secretive about not knowing who was going to be on the show with you, that’s already like a red flag because you’re like, “Wait, now you’re going to put me with a bunch of personalities and I don’t know who these people are. I don’t know their energy or how they act.” But then as soon as you meet each other or you’re around each other, that goes away because you’re all in the same predicament. You’re all in the same situation where you’re like, “Are we going to die? Can you have my back? Because I got yours. Can we look out for each other?” I don’t know what I was expecting, but I know the day one, I was like, “What is this? Wait, wait. What are we doing? And water?” I know they asked, “Could you swim?” But I didn’t know the whole season was going to be in the freezing ocean yet. So, yeah, next time I’ll try to expect things to prepare myself.

Your whole journey was so interesting to watch. Despite every failure, you kept going. What was it that kept your head in the game for so long? 

I think a lot of different things. I think once I got there and realized I was like, “Wait, I’m doing reality television. Like, I’m showing the world me.” And for me, for so long, I’ve always been like, “Oh, no, I’m an actress. I don’t want people to see me. I want people to focus on the characters that I’m playing.” So that was a new feeling. 

As soon as I got there, I felt I couldn’t breathe. As soon as I got there and I did the first thing, I was like, “You guys, I think I might have asthma.” And I was like, “Oh, the elevation. Maybe it’s where we are.” And then I’m not used to being cold. I tell people all the time, “Baby, I’m from L.A.” When it gets [to] 69, I’m like, “Anybody got a little sweater? It’s a little chilly out here. What’s going on?” So I think day two, I really sat back and I was like, “Why am I here? What is the point?” And then you start going into an ego and you start going like, “OK, well, what is it going to look like if I leave so early? Do I want to leave early? Did I just fly all the way out here just to be here for two days? And I don’t know what’s going on with my body. I’m usually able to do certain things. Why am I not able to do [things]?” So, then you start questioning yourself. 

I think once we did day three when we had to submerge underwater, that was the only thing that I was really afraid of. So as soon as I was able to get through that, even though I didn’t pass, the fact that I did it, I was like, “OK, I can do any of this stuff. I can make any of this stuff happen.” And I don’t know, I think at that point I was like, “I want to stay as long as possible.” And then every day you think about leaving. But then I was like, “What are they going to do tomorrow? It might be fun and I’m going to miss it, and then I’m not going to know what it is and they’re not gonna tell me until it comes on. This isn’t fair.” So just me having my own conversations in my head and then also imagining talking to my family because my family is my safe place and having all these different feelings and just having to imagine like, “OK, what would my significant other say to me right now? What would my kids say or how are they going to feel watching this back?” And I really wanted to show them you can’t give up. You have to keep going. I’ve always been very stubborn. So, even if I feel like you want me to leave, like, now I’m not going to leave just to irritate you.

In tonight’s episode, you officially hand in your armband. What was it that finally made you VW?

I believe the night before the mud workout, throughout the whole mud workout, I was like, “They’re doing this to make me leave.” I took things personal and I wasn’t thinking about, “They’re trying to make other people leave.” I was like, “They’re trying to make me leave.” And I refuse to be in a situation where they’re like, “We got Kyla.” So I was just very stubborn at that moment. Like, I’m not quitting right now. But as I was waiting to take a shower in the one shower that we had there, so I was freezing with mud everywhere and sand everywhere, I kind of just had the thought of, “Am I done? Am I done with this? Do I still want to do this? What am I trying to prove? I’ve already proved enough to myself. I don’t need to prove anything to anyone else. Am I done?” And I just told myself I was going to sleep on it and I slept on it. And when I woke up the next day, I was like, “Yeah, I think Kyla’s done.” 

And even then I was trying to get out. And I felt like people kept ignoring me. I was like, “Why are they ignoring me?” Like, they know this is different. They know I want to leave. And then I think at the right moment I was just like, “OK, well, let me just try to get up this mountain and see what I can do.” But at that point, I had a sinus infection, my hamstring completely failed me one day, my foot, my hands. And then they were like, “Put this rock in your friend’s bag.” And I was like, “Alright, yeah, I’m done.” Like, I’m very proud of myself. I’m very proud of everything that I did. And then the next two days, I was like, “Do I really want to do stuff that’s worse than that? Yeah, no, I’m good. You guys have a good day.” Thank you for your love. 

When I talked to DS Billy Billingham, he said going to the end doesn’t necessarily mean going to the end of the show. Instead, it’s giving your 100% and getting out of the experience what you need. Did you feel like you got what you needed out of your time on Special Forces?

I absolutely feel like I was very satisfied and happy with the time that I left. I think if I would have left any time before that, I would have felt like I robbed myself of the experience. But leaving when I did was the perfect time for me. And even looking back now with so many people on my socials that are like, “We’re rooting for you to go to the end!” I want to tell them, “I hate to break it to you. I’m out.” But I really do feel like I got everything that I needed. I feel like it helped me in so many ways just to help me control my emotions. And put things into perspective for me. I feel like in everyday life we kind of make big deals out of things that are not that intense. And even talking to all of the DS, even if you see us inside of our one on one talks, when they take us inside the interrogation room, if you have any type of emotion, it’s like, “OK, now emotion aside.” I feel like I got everything I needed and that’s why when I did leave, I was so satisfied with my experience. I wasn’t down on myself. I wasn’t upset. If I would have left any time before that, I think I would have been. 

There was that really tough moment where you, Cam, and Kayla had to bury your recruits. What was that like for you? I imagine that was one of the more mentally challenging parts of the show.

That was extremely challenging for me. I am a very physically fit person. Like, I work out. And to be somewhere where I feel like my body is failing me and to be put in a situation where it’s like I take pride in telling the truth. One thing I am not is a liar. And that’s one thing that I teach my kids. I’m like, “Hey, you don’t have to lie to anyone.” And so being stuck in that moment where I felt like it was perceived as if I was caught in a lie when actually I lost count –  I just kept going like. I was winded. We did that circuit twice and I’m trying to do it to the best of my ability. So for me to get so windy that I lost count and then got to a point where I was made to feel like I was lying, that was the first blow. And then to realize that I didn’t have to pay for my consequences – well, I did have to pay in a way – but it was more so other people were affected by me making a mistake, that stung the worst. Because I’m really big on, “OK, if I do something, I have no problem with taking responsibility in conversations, in life, in anything.” But if someone else has to suffer based on me not living up to my perfectionist things that I have in my head, it was horrible. I think that was the first day that I was just like boohoo crying. Because my decisions affected other people. 

I had a feeling watching it that you guys just miscounted. How could any of you keep count after all of that?

And then I was like, “Literally, I counted to 18!” If I was gonna cheat, I would’ve really cheated. To do a burpee after you done lunges, you’ve done crunches, you’ve done squats, you’ve done all these [things] and you’re running around. They didn’t even show that they were timing us. So for me, I was the slowest person there. And so that was messing with me and then somebody running up behind you to get into the spot. So if I see somebody coming, I’m like, “Oh, crap, I’m too far behind. Let me hurry up.” So I’m like, “I think I’m done.” It was a lot, but no excuses. I was winded. I was like, “I think I have asthma. Something has to be wrong with me. Something is wrong.”

I think everyone had their moments where they were mentally drained. When Cam Newton had his, you were the one to talk him off the ledge. Why was it important for you to talk to him at that moment? 

I’m a super empath. I care about how people feel, especially in moments like that. And I think that was just one of my strong suits. I wasn’t able to do a lot of the things physically or complete a lot of the physical tasks how it was supposed to be done. But mentally, nothing can shake me. And if I see someone else experiencing something like that, especially Cam – Cam had my back. A lot of the cast did, especially our bigger members. Like carrying my bag at some point or helped push me up a hill. And so in a way, watching it back, that was kind of my way of repaying, being able to be something for someone in the time that they needed. And he just needed that in that moment. We’re all human. We all have moments where we doubt ourselves and we feel some type of way. And if you have someone there that’s like, “Hey, get it together. What you’re feeling right now is just a feeling. It’s not a fact.” I’m really big on mental health and taking care of ourselves, not only physically but mentally because we need that. So I’m just glad that I was able to be there for him in that moment. Also, he got really quiet. And I don’t like when people are quiet who are usually very, very loud because he stresses me out. So I had to make him talk. 

Well, thank you so much for sitting down with me today. I loved watching your whole trajectory on the show. And best of luck for whatever you decide to do next. 

Thank you so much. I appreciate it. After Special Forces there’s nothing I can’t do! 

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test airs Wednesdays at 8/7c on Fox.