Paulie Calafiore, a cast member that fans of The Challenge either love or hate is returning to the show, albeit in spinoff form.
The two-time MTV Challenge finalist was unveiled among the cast of the USA 2 spinoff for CBS, as he’ll be one of several competitors representing Big Brother.
He’s joined by other polarizing BB stars who joined The Challenge, including Josh Martinez and Faysal “Fessy” Shafaat.
While Josh and Fessy have been on recent seasons, Paulie hasn’t been on a season of MTV’s competition series since appearing in War of the Worlds 2 alongside his girlfriend, Cara Maria Sorbello.
While many fans continue to demand Cara Maria’s return to the show, not as many seem to want to see Paulie back on their screens.
The former Big Brother houseguest recently shared a video highlighting how reactions have been about his return so far.
Paulie shares an expletive-filled video about reactions to his return
Taking to TikTok on Monday night, Paulie shared a video clip of himself seated at a table wearing a red jersey, possibly to enjoy a meal. Soon, a voiceover began cursing up a storm, with Paulie listening to the comments.
“F***ing hell. You f***ing a*****e. You f***ing liar. You f***ing maniupulator. You God d*** wish you woulda played your cards right with me, You f***ing a*****e!!!” a woman screams in the voiceover as Paulie listens, sips some wine, and smiles.
Text that says “Reddit when they found out that I was coming back to tv” appears on the screen, suggesting that fans on the platform aren’t happy to see him back on The Challenge in any format.
“Got me in my feels,” Paulie wrote in the caption, hashtagging “#imbackkk” along with “#thechallenge.”
Paulie has Challenge history with USA 2 castmates
A brand new promotional video for The Challenge arrived prior to Paulie’s TikTok clip above. It focuses on the Big Brother stars who will appear in the USA 2 spinoff.
Paulie starts the video by sharing that people think he’s a “cutthroat, savage competitor that really doesn’t care about people’s feelings and emotions.”
“Do you understand how much I have to cry alone so that I can come out and put on this whole facade that I’m just some mean, angry competitor that just wants to crush your Challenge dreams and Challenge career?” he asks.
The video highlights some of his history from the show, with castmate Josh indicating he and Paulie “have had our differences in the past” and “he’s just not my type of person.”
The two have been castmates on War of the Worlds and WOTW 2, with a few scenes showing the two getting into a heated argument.
Paulie’s also had a history with Johnny Bananas, the MTV show’s seven-time champion, as he backstabbed him by voting him into elimination after guaranteeing his safety with a handshake.
There’s also Tori Deal, who was famously put into eliminations by Cara and Paulie’s Team USA alliance on WOTW 2, along with her boyfriend at the time, Jordan Wiseley.
What are fans saying about Paulie’s return to The Challenge?
Paulie didn’t single out any specific comments from Reddit. However, remarks on Instagram’s upload of the video above paint a similar picture of how some fans feel about his return. Many expressed their opinions of the two-time Challenge finalist.
One commenter called Paulie “still absolutely cringe,” while another reminded fans how he “chokes at the end of every competition.”
That was what viewers saw in Paulie’s last appearance on MTV’s War of the Worlds 2, a highlight moment that has lived on from that season’s final.
Another commenter said, “all he’s gonna do is talk a big talk, how he thinks he’s smarter and stronger than everyone else,” and then end up “in last place again.”
“No one whose seen you in a final thinks you’re a cutthroat savage competitor,” one individual wrote.
Another defended Paulie as “a fantastic villain for the show,” suggesting that while they don’t like “some of the antics,” he brings on the show, “he’s played things pretty well.”
One commenter booed Paulie with all caps and added many tomato emojis to hammer their point home.
There are mixed reactions to Paulie’s return, but many are disputing that he’s a “cutthroat” and “savage” competitor in The Challenge.
He previously mentioned he’s changed his strategy for his return to The Challenge, so it should be interesting to see if any of his detractors warm up to seeing him on the show.
The Challenge: USA 2 premieres Thursday, August 10 at 10/9c on CBS.