‘Survivor: Cagayan’ interview: Trish Hegarty on idols, Kass, and bond with Tony

Is it fair to say that Trish Hegarty had a heck of a run on “Survivor” this season? We would certainly say so. We felt for a while that she was genuinely going to go very far, and possibly even win thanks to a game that wasn’t really getting some of the respect that it deserved from the other players.

The only reason that she was eventually eliminated? Her close relationship with Tony, who was running the game and the other players didn’t want her working with him any longer. (He had an idol, and couldn’t be voted out himself.)  As for Tony casting a vote against her, that is something we’ll have to talk more about with him after the finale Wednesday. We talked with Trish late last week about the immunity idol, her relationship with Kass, and a variety of other topics.

CarterMatt – So what was your reaction to everything that happened last night?

Trish Hegarty – I realize it was a game and only one person could win. I would’ve loved the money, I could’ve really used it. I had a great experience. It was frustrating, but it’s not like devastating, you know what I mean?

Was it frustrating to you throughout the season that you didn’t seem to get enough credit for some of the moves that you made, like flipping Kass and convincing Jefra [to stay]?

It’s funny. What I’ve learned is that everyone comes from this with their own opinions and perspective, and I’m not somebody who really needs the credit for much. I know who I am at the end of the day, I know what I did. I was kind of keeping it all until the end for my final speech.

I’m sure you’ve been asked this a million times today, but did Tony mention or talk to you about giving you the idol?

He told me all along that he was going to use it for me if I needed it.

So what went wrong?

I think what went wrong was that Kass and Woo convinced Tony that there was no way that he could beat me in the end.

Would you have gone after Tony at the final four, or would the two of you had been a two-person block?

You know, it’s tough to answer that. I’m a pretty loyal person and I would’ve had a hard time voting Tony out. I gotta be honest with you. I really like the guy … We were like a team. That was the hardest part of me was writing people’s names down, because you get to know them and you’re squashing their dreams.

So Kass showing you the middle finger on the way out, what did you think of that? From this standpoint, it really didn’t feel like she needed to do that.

I think it showed exactly who she is. I think she lacks people skills, has no class, is an instigator and an agitator, has no respect for other people, is a cryer, a whiner, a crybaby, and I think the fact that she got me off should’ve been enough.

I’m the type of person that if I’m going to give you the middle finger, I’m going to put it right up to your nose and in between your eyes. I don’t do it behind people’s backs.

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