Happy Hour: Sunny Jo's Big Win

Added: 2026-05-16

[00:00:03][music] >> Hello and welcome to this episode of Kennedy Saves the World. There is There is a show season 2 that has taken Fox Nation by storm. Greg Gutfeld's What Did I Miss? Now, the first season, there was a shocking early exit. Sunny Joe left the compound early. And he was mad as hell. So, he somehow found it within his his gullet to go for another round, and he went back for it the 90 days with no cell phone, no internet, no TV, only pencils and his imagination. And he emerged I won't even say how you You tell me how you did in season 2. Sunny Joe, welcome to Kennedy Saves the World.

[00:00:55]>> First off, thank you so much for having me.

[00:00:57]>> For sure. Oh, it's happy hour. Here we go. It's a little bourbon and Olliepop.

[00:01:01]All right. So, what's going on? Um so, you did season 1. No one knew anything about season 1. This is always the most fascinating thing with reality shows like that because it's part reality, part game. And, you know, you guys really were sequestered in season 1.

[00:01:17]Why did Why did you leave the game so early? What happened?

[00:01:20]>> So, like, the crazy thing about it, Kennedy, is like it really is a game that's like a 50/50 shot. Cuz like you're in you're in complete isolation, no phone, no TV, no nothing. And like that's talked about a lot, but what isn't talked about is literally nothing.

[00:01:35]Like you can't talk to family, you can't talk to friends.

[00:01:37]>> brutal. Exactly. Like let's say >> It's It sounds like all fun and games, and like, "Oh, 90 days isn't that long."

[00:01:43]I spent 1 day in the Big Brother house, 1 day on media day, and it was like 12 hours, and I almost lost my mind.

[00:01:49]>> Exactly. Like the first day you get there, and you're like, "Oh, this is TV.

[00:01:52]It's cool." And then day three, you're like, "Get me the hell out of here."

[00:01:55]Like it is Yeah.

[00:01:56]>> You're like, "Oh, I'll nap, You know, I'll just do it." But and and then you have to play a social game in there.

[00:02:03]Yeah. So, was that your great undoing in season 1?

[00:02:07]Uh How long did you last? How many days?

[00:02:09]So, the way the game show works is like in order for the show to go on, everyone has to last. When you get eliminated is at the end. So, when you're on the actual game show. So, like I lasted the whole time, but it was at the actual game show when they have round by round.

[00:02:22]First round, I was done.

[00:02:23]>> Why? It was a question that I believed that I thought was right and it was wrong.

[00:02:28]>> the question? Uh did a transgender actress win the Oscars? Uh-huh. Before I went in, she was in the running. Okay.

[00:02:35]But here's the thing. I didn't know that she had this big like Nazi speech and everything that happened while I was in there. So, that's how they get to you.

[00:02:42]The trickery that they play is like, "Here's a question that you think is easy cuz it's something that relates to when you were in there, but they don't tell you the rest." Yeah. And and you also don't realize how quickly the world can change.

[00:02:53]>> Exactly. Um so, you were eliminated early. Why would you go back for another round? At first, I'm like, "I never want to do this again. This is terrible." And then I'm like, you know, you ever see Rocky? So, Rocky 1, he does the training, it's everything, and he loses.

[00:03:07]So, he did it for nothing. And then he's sitting there and he's like, "You know what? In Rocky 2, I'm going to go back and I'm going to win." So, I was like, and I love '80s movies, so that's why I always have that reference even though I don't look anything like Rocky.

[00:03:19]But like, I'm like, "Hey man, with a good filter, Right?

[00:03:21]>> [laughter] >> Anyone can be Rocky."

[00:03:23]>> [gasps] >> But I'm like, "Let me see. Like let me see if I could do this." And I wanted to see like beyond even winning, I wanted to see how I felt as a person. Like same house, same time. Like will I have a different experience this time than I did the first time?

[00:03:37]>> I did. Okay. And and what did you do differently? Like did you prepare yourself mentally? Did you try and react differently to social situations?

[00:03:45]>> I analyzed things differently. So, like I'm like I really like the cast I like the cast in both seasons, but like I really bonded with the cast in season 1 and like Mike, the winner on that, like I watched how he did it and he actually taught me a lot. Like just by watching him and like how he reacted to situations cuz like a big part of it is like look how many people that you you don't get along with. Like there's are just people you can't get along with, but you get to go home, you get to go to work, you get to leave. Here you can't leave. So like you have to train yourself to like understanding people's feelings.

[00:04:16]>> not reacting to people who are trying to get a reaction out of you. Yeah. And I >> that's a that's a huge life lesson. And that happened a lot this season. There were people that were like really pulling cuz they were bored.

[00:04:28]>> And they'd already seen the show.

[00:04:30]Exactly.

[00:04:30]>> So so they they had an idea like when they're watching the first season they're like, oh if I were there I would do this. And that's exactly what they did. And like you have to train yourself to be like, no I'm not going to react.

[00:04:41]I'm not going to let this person get to me. But like the difference was is like I just read people better. And like there were like the biggest part that helped me in the show were the games.

[00:04:49]Like just and it sounds crazy, but like you have to play games, you have to play poker, you have to know how people bluff. And like they kind of served it a little bit cuz some of them didn't want to participate in the games, they didn't want to play the games, they didn't want to play poker, but now I like I was able to read their bluff. Yeah. So like it's kind of like I'm not saying that's why I won, but like a lot of it besides the luck aspect of it is the mind game. Like you have to know how to read the person and if they truly believe that their question's right or wrong, etc. Are you a better person for having done it twice? Like do you know more about people in psychological manipulation and more about yourself? Yes. I think I learned more about myself this time and I think that this time was a way harder.

[00:05:29]And like you would think that like you would have an advantage cuz you were on it before, and that's what I thought.

[00:05:33]I'm like, oh this is going to be easier this time cuz I know what it's about. It was 10 times harder.

[00:05:36]>> That's what I thought going into labor with my second child. I'm like I've already done this. Like this is and it's like shockingly difficult. And that's how it was. And like I it's even harder cuz in your mind you're thinking that it's all going to be cake. I'm like, oh, this is going to be easier cuz I've done it. And then life smacks you in the butt and it's like, nah, sunny. Like, this is hard. Yeah. Um what was your what was your favorite part about it and and when did you feel like you were going to break in season two?

[00:06:03]So, there was a contestant who I love.

[00:06:05]She was amazing. She had to leave because of a family emergency. And like it sucked cuz she was the only one that I really bonded with and like really drived with. Like, we understood each other. Like, we were there just to make the best of it. And what a difference that has to make. Like, having someone there that you know, no matter what, you're the same kind of people. Like, you're going to look out for each other.

[00:06:26]You're going to make each other laugh.

[00:06:28]>> Exactly. And that changed the whole dynamic. And like not that the other ones aren't great cuz they're awesome.

[00:06:32]But like it just really changed the dynamic. And like you could see like I'm a very chatty person. Like, I'm like a husky. Like, I need constant like simulation. And like they were very quiet. So, like imagine like being in a house where like no one's talking. Yeah.

[00:06:45]Like, it's like, uh. And you have nothing to do. Nothing. Were there books? Yeah, there were books. I I always say I was like the fat Bob Ross.

[00:06:50]I painted. [laughter] I did crafts.

[00:06:53]Like, I did stuff that I never thought I would do in my Okay, at least so that keeps you from going actually insane.

[00:06:58]>> For a week. But then how many paint by numbers can you do? Yeah, that's 12 weeks. Exactly.

[00:07:03]>> Oh, that's a long time.

[00:07:05]>> and when you're on your third like painted pet rock, you're like, all right, this is lame. Get me the hell out of here. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So, what did you do to survive in those moments?

[00:07:13]>> Literally just sit and think. Like, that's the thing and I know it sounds like crazy, but like you just sit there and you think. And like, how's my wife doing? How's my family doing? Like, Do you have kids? No, I do not. We're trying actually.

[00:07:23]>> Okay. Well, I hope that you are successful because that would be really difficult as a parent to like have no contact with your children. That in season one it was That might drive me insane. It was hard. In season one, Mike, great guy, like super close with his family. Like, it would literally he would sit there and cry. Uh. like I know like people see like TV and they think, "Oh, it's reality." There's TV magic.

[00:07:44]No. Like this is the real deal. Like we had no contact with our family. So like if I can't imagine like doing it as a parent, like it would kill me. And season 1, because at some point I'm sure there's going to be like what did I miss All-Stars? Um in season 1, I heard there were people who were boning and then uh they stopped boning and it got very awkward. You heard right.

[00:08:05]>> Yeah.

[00:08:05]>> Their room was right across from my room. So either they were moving furniture >> Yeah. which I never heard furniture say yeah, but you know what I mean? I don't know. Maybe you move the couch on a different angle, I'm not sure.

[00:08:17]>> [gasps] >> But yeah, no.

[00:08:18]>> Oh, it's sunny Joe.

[00:08:20]And then did they break up like mid-season?

[00:08:23]>> They broke up for a little bit.

[00:08:25]>> Yeah, but they're just married, too, which is cool. Wow.

[00:08:27]>> Yeah. Imagine shaking the husband's hand.

[00:08:29]>> was Diana Rossini.

[00:08:30]>> Yeah, exactly.

[00:08:32]>> [laughter] >> I didn't know Mike "The Situation" was part of that game.

[00:08:36]See, that's the amazing thing cuz do they think that no one's going to find out about that stuff? Uh >> [sighs and gasps] >> like >> like it's all like you have signed your life away when you agree to be on a show like that.

[00:08:48]>> Exactly. And it's a small house. And like there's other people living in the house. And like you could tell like they tried. And like they're both really cool, the ones that were involved. But it's like we're not dumb. Like we were kids. Like you know what I mean? Like we know what it's like. Like not to have an affair on a reality show, but still.

[00:09:04]Like we know what it's like. And like it what gave it away is that like they would be touchy-touchy and then you'd walk in and they'd jump away from each other. So it's defensive. Like what are you doing? Yeah. Everyone Everyone knew.

[00:09:16]Was there anything like that in season 2?

[00:09:18]>> No.

[00:09:19]No romantic >> Zero. entanglements. Zero. That's what I'm saying. Like in season 1 >> there'd have been a little bit more Yes.

[00:09:26]tension and drama in the second >> 100% cuz it was exciting. In season 1, I'm like, "Oh my god, there's an affair.

[00:09:31]What if there's a love child?" Cuz there's no contraceptives here. Like it's crazy. In season 2, I got food poisoning. Like that was like the most exciting thing that happened.

[00:09:38]>> How did you How were Did they have a doctor come in? Like how were you treated?

[00:09:41]>> just fluids and and one. I wasn't severe.

[00:09:44]>> you poor thing. Cuz here's the thing.

[00:09:46]You're sharing one bathroom? You share You share one bathroom, but if you do get sick and you have to leave, you're done.

[00:09:52]>> Yeah, that's it.

[00:09:53]>> Cuz some What if the doctor says who won the Super Bowl? Or what if something like that? So like there were times where you're like, "Ah, I'm sick. I'm not going to tell nobody. Like I want to stay here." Especially if you're on like day 80. Yeah. You're going to leave You know what I mean? You're going to leave to go to the hospital. So what was it like the last 10 days? Was it Was it unbearable? Did it go so slowly? It went like literally every minute felt like 10 hours. Cuz like you're waiting. You're like, "Oh, the big day is coming." Like, "Oh my god." But then you get scared.

[00:10:18]Like in my Like I was like, "What if I just did this again? And I go out again." And like you just keep thinking.

[00:10:24]Like it sucks. What were you most shocked about the second time that happened?

[00:10:28]In in the news? Madarau. Okay.

[00:10:31]>> That was what Madarau. Cuz like even the way it was phrased, it's like, "And he's in the same prison as Diddy. He's in a Brooklyn jail." I'm like, "There's no way."

[00:10:39]Boom. It happened. I was like, "That's crazy." No, it's And And that's why the game is so brilliant because people don't realize what happens in a month, let alone 3 months. And like we're all plugged into it. Like everyone is on their phones all the time. It's true. And it's like if you're checking any news sites, then you you know what's going on and you're just conditioned Like now we're conditioned to be addicted to the excitement of the changing dramatic news cycle.

[00:11:08]>> read a study that said 1 day of news here and the stimulation is like 10 years. Okay.

[00:11:13]>> Like back to And like not even And I read that. I'm like, "There's no way this is true." And it was true. Do you feel like it it gave you like more brain space? Or Or Like it did it improve your life long term? I slept better. Okay.

[00:11:26]>> Cuz think about like when you're at night, you're doom scrolling. You're looking at funny cat videos in Nebraska.

[00:11:30]Like you're just literally eating away at your brain. Like I noticed like after a week >> I watch funny cat videos in Dubai. Me too. They're fantastic. But they're not good for your mental >> no. But I I've probably watched 50 hours of Donny the cat whisperer.

[00:11:42]>> Exactly.

[00:11:43]>> Yeah. And like imagine you're just how long you're there. And like when you don't have that, like I slept like a baby. And like I noticed like I didn't worry. Cuz like a lot of the stuff on the phone is doom and gloom. Yeah. Like there's war, there's this, this guy cheated on her, this guy broke up, blah blah blah blah blah. When you have that like clear head space, your life is just so much better. Did your memory improve?

[00:12:01]>> Yes.

[00:12:01]>> Okay.

[00:12:02]>> Everything improved like on a mental aspect. Cuz you're not worrying about nothing. The only thing you know about is what's happening in the house. So like you're not thinking about are my bills paid? How's my job? How's this?

[00:12:12]What's happening?

[00:12:13]Nothing. All you're able to focus on is what's in the house.

[00:12:17]Um did you ever retreat completely? Like did you ever find that either you were depressed or just didn't want to talk to people and See, no one really like talked. So like I was craving that like I was craving that interaction. I was craving that.

[00:12:31]But like there were times where like I I really missed my wife and I'm like damn, like I wish she was here. Like and keep in mind Do you talk to producers at all?

[00:12:39]No, because they don't want to break either. Like imagine like a normal slip-up. Like oh, how's your day? Oh, good. Did you see the game? What game?

[00:12:45]Boom, slip-up. So like it's very you're not really talking to anyone.

[00:12:49]>> couldn't even get messages to your wife?

[00:12:52]We were able to send letters, but we weren't able to get letters back.

[00:12:54]>> Oh.

[00:12:57]Um was she happy to get your letters? Uh I didn't know until I got out, but yeah, she was. Yeah, I bet she was.

[00:13:03]>> And like you would it was just the crazy thing is is like your mind goes too.

[00:13:06]Like you start psyching yourself out and you're like what if they're not even sending the letter? Cuz like all you have is time to think.

[00:13:11]>> Yeah. And there's there's no one sort of reinforcing what you hope is happening.

[00:13:18]>> Exactly. And like even though like you trust that and like you know, but like when you're sitting there, all you do is think. Will you do season 3?

[00:13:25]I You know, after I said no in season 1, I'm like, you know what? I'm never going to say never cuz I said I wouldn't be I said for a hundred million dollars I wouldn't do it again. Well, I did it again and it wasn't for a hundred million dollars. So, I'm going to say never say never.

[00:13:37]>> What advice do you have for people who play season 3?

[00:13:41]Oh, like don't go in there saying I'm going to win. Go in there and try to improve on yourself. Use it as time to get like mental clarity and really like notice things around you and I feel like inadvertently like you may win by doing that. Like when you just like calm down, notice people's reactions cuz a lot of it and I hate mental like manipulation.

[00:14:00]But like everybody's trying to mentally manipulate you and when you're aware of it then then you're fine cuz like everyone's going to act like your friend, everyone's going to act like this, but they're just trying to win.

[00:14:12]>> Yeah. And like if you go there with the mindset like I'm just here to see if I could do it for the experience, I feel like that's the road to success.

[00:14:19]>> Well, hell of an experience winner.

[00:14:22]Congratulations, Sunny Joe.

[00:14:23]>> Thank you so much.

[00:14:24]>> So nice to talk to you and I'm glad you reigned supreme.

[00:14:27]>> [laughter] >> Don't forget Bourbon always helps. It does. Uh so, make sure you check out Greg Gutfeld's What Did I Miss? on Fox Nation. Two seasons now. Hate to spoil it for you, but Sunny Joe is the man.

[00:14:42]>> [laughter] >> Thank you, my friend.

[00:14:44]>> Thank you so much. This is fantastic.

[00:14:45]>> on your shirt. I love eating french fries and fast food.

[00:14:48]>> And pizza, yeah. I had every season I do a raccoon a raccoon shirt. So, like if you watch season 2, every shirt that I wear has a raccoon on >> [laughter] >> as like a little quirkiness.

[00:14:58]>> That is like a Taylor Swift Easter egg.

[00:15:00]>> Exactly.

[00:15:00]>> Well done. All right, this has been Kennedy Saves the World along with Sunny Joe. [music] I'm Kennedy.

[00:15:05]>> See you guys.

[00:15:10]Listen ad-free with a Fox News podcast plus subscription on Apple podcast and Amazon Prime members can listen to this show ad-free on the Amazon Music app.

[00:15:20]Oh, go ahead and leave me a review while there. I'd love to hear what you have to say. You've been listening to Kennedy Saves the World on the Fox News Podcast Network.