Welcome to Pollywood! How British estate agent Polly Brindle went from Barnoldswick to Netflix stardom on Selling the OC

• Yorkshire-born and US-bred Brindle took an unconventional route to the show
• READ MORE: Selling the OC’s Tyler Stanaland says he is ‘still healing’ and ‘picking up the pieces’ following his split from Brittany Snow after two years of marriage

The newly released second series of the Netflix hit programme, Selling the OC, follows the Oppenheim Group as they take on the Orange County, showing off luxury listings and boisterous personalities, and among them is Polly Brindle.

Originally from Barnoldwick, West Yorkshire, Polly, the only Brit on the addictive show, has quickly made her mark from luring fans in with her accent to boldly demanding respect from team members.

But the 36-year-old has defied expectations. Having only been an estate agent for one year, Brindle professionally manages to close impressive deals on multimillion-dollar Hollywood homes.

It wasn’t until the pandemic that Brindle realised her desire to become a realtor, and she was still studying for her real estate license when she secured a position on the show.

Though success isn’t her only defining attribute, and glamour doesn’t fall short behind. 

Originally from Barnoldwick, West Yorkshire, Polly Brindle (middle) has quickly made her mark on the show 

If you thought Selling Sunset was highoctane, then Selling The OC- which centres on the goings-on at Oppenheim’s offices in California’s Orange County- is its little sister on steroids. 

And amidst the  cost-of-living crisis, it provides a timely bit of escapism. 

The show launched in 2021 with a peek into an eye-watering $106million listing in Laguna Beach, complete with ocean views, glassbottomed spiral staircases, a retractable roof and a 360-degree rotating bed (the commission on this sale alone is $3.18million). 

While these properties are understated compared with the LA homes in Selling Sunset (‘celebrities tend to have their second homes here in Orange County,’ explains Polly), they are nonetheless show-stoppers. 

‘Living walls’ teeming with thousands of plants are de rigueur, as are ‘water walls’ flowing from as high as 40ft, not to mention the almost obligatory infinity pools, customised wine cellars and home movie theatres.

But it’s the drama between the realtors — dressed as if they’re heading to Harry’s Bar rather than a house viewing — for which millions are really tuning in.

There are tears, tantrums and colleagues trying to seduce their married co-workers. And 36-year-old Polly is at the heart of much of it. 

But Brindle’s journey to show is unlike the others, transitioning from Barnoldwick to Netflix stardom on Selling the OC. 

The stunning model-turned-realtor hails from Barnoldswick in rural Lancashire (population 11,000), not known for its billionaires. 

But the 36-year-old has defied expectations. Having only been an estate agent for one year, Brindle professionally closes impressive deals on multimillion-dollar Hollywood homes

But Brindle’s journey to show is unlike the others, transitioning from Barnoldwick to Netflix stardom on Selling the OC

‘It’s way up north, very picturesque and has a very small-town mentality where everyone knows everyone else. 

‘It’s a very down-to-earth place,’ Polly previously revealed in conversation with The Daily Mail. 

Barnoldswick is certainly a far cry from the sun-drenched beaches of Orange County. 

Polly grew up in a four-bedroom semi with her older sister Ellen, younger brother Harvey and parents Geoff, an architect, and Clare, a taxidermist.

At 15, she was spotted by a modelling scout and a year later, she left home and moved to Paris, then Milan and Barcelona, working for the likes of Virgin, Dior, Aston Martin and Marks & Spencer. She even filmed a commercial for Lancôme with Julia Roberts. 

At 24, she married her husband, a model and poker player eight years her senior, and a year later they moved from London to Los Angeles ‘to have beach babies and live the American Dream’. 

At 15, Polly moved out of the UK after she was spotted by a modelling scout. he left home and moved to Paris, then Milan and Barcelona, working for the likes of Virgin, Dior, Aston Martin and Marks & Spencer

She loved married life and loved ‘being the perfect wife. ‘I was making dinner every night for 7 o’clock, doing the laundry and on top of that, being the breadwinner. But I was happy to do it.

‘The plan was to have four kids in total, three by the time I was 30, the white picket fence, everything. I was on track to do that and it was the perfect marriage,’ she said, ‘right up until the moment it wasn’t.’

As she revealed in the show, just five years into the marriage, her perfect life fell apart when she found pictures on her husband’s phone of him cheating. 

‘Until that time I never suspected anything and I’d never snooped on him,’ she said. 

‘But he came home from a trip that time and certain things just weren’t adding up. 

‘I asked to see his phone and he’d deleted everything, but my brother is a computer genius and he’d given me software that could retrieve deleted information.’

She soon realised that her husband was not who he claimed to be. Having experienced divorce aged 12 when her parents separated, she never wanted to go through a repeat. 

But two days after Polly found the images on his phone, he left for England and she never saw him again.  

At 24, she married her husband, a model and poker player eight years her senior, and a year later they moved from London to Los Angeles ‘to have beach babies and live the American Dream’

As she revealed in the show, just five years into the marriage, her perfect life fell apart when she found pictures on her husband’s phone of him cheating 

But that was just the start of her problems. As she was a U.S. visa holder, unlike her husband, she had full financial responsibility of their belongings. 

She was consequently left with two leased cars under her name while renting a four-bedroom house that was more than she could afford by herself. 

The financial struggle led to four years of legal back and-forth scuffles with her ex. ‘He owed me money from the house we had lived in in London and I needed that money to start all over again, so it was a battle,’ she said. 

Though she had been modelling in California, the separation took a toll on her health, which meant she took a step back from her work. 

‘No client wants you to represent their product when you look visibly distraught,’ she told Daily Mail. 

Just two days after Polly (pictured above as a child) found the images on his phone, he left for England and she never saw him again

When the pandemic hit in 2020, it served as a time to reflect on career goals, allowing Polly to think about her plans for the future

Polly turned to a multitude of jobs, from waiting tables at West Hollywood’s Sunset Tower Hotel to managing a boutique architecture firm.

Working in architecture proved to be invaluable to Polly, who quickly came to understand the industry jargon and how to read plans. 

When the pandemic hit in 2020, it served as a full stop, allowing her to think about her plans for the future. 

She moved to Orange County and, while studying for her realtor’s licence, stumbled upon the Oppenheim Group’s new office, then under construction.

She knew after the first look that she was going to work there. So, Polly contacted Jason Oppenheim, who founded the company and runs it with his twin brother Brett. 

Polly stumbled across the Oppenheim office in Orange County, and instantly knew that she wanted to work there

Jason Oppenheim expressed his concern about hiring people with little experience, but he later admitted that Polly is focused and ambitious 

The pair met up and Jason mentioned that they were making a new show, and she recalled instantly thinking ‘I’m down for this…I’m not a wallflower, so I thought I’d probably be a good fit.’ 

Jason, the show’s compact dynamo, who appears to spend as much time mediating between squabbling agents as he does running the business (the Oppenheim Group has made almost $2billion in sales and he is believed to be worth around $50million) admitted that he worries when hiring people that lack experience. 

But found that Polly is focused and ambitious, which allowed her to quickly succeed in the business. 

He added that Polly is additionally impressive as that she came from humble beginnings. 

In a neat illustration of that, Polly revealed that she inked her first real-estate deal over oysters and martinis at the Sunset Tower Hotel — where she had waitressed only a few years previously.

Polly revealed she inked her first real-estate deal over oysters and martinis at the Sunset Tower Hotel — where she had waitressed only a few years previously

Since the release of Selling the OC’s second series, fans have speculated about her behaviour and gushed over the Yorkshire native’s trendy looks and bold personality

Earlier this week, the second series of Selling the OC reached screens globally, and Polly has been in the spotlight. 

Brindle can be seen closing deals while donning glamorous outfits fit for a nightclub.  

Since its release, fans have speculated about her behaviour and gushed over the Yorkshire native’s trendy looks and bold personality.

But while Brindle’s often juicy actions on the show are up for debate with viewers, if one thing isn’t, it’s her success story from a little-known Yorkshire village, even to British fans, to Netflix stardom on Selling the OC.

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