"Watching myself was a delight" — Survivor 48's Star Toomey reflects on her edit in the show
Survivor 48 episode 10, aired on April 30, 2025, marked the end of Star Toomey’s 19-day journey as she was voted out and moved to the jury. In an exclusive interview with Parade published on May 1, 2025, Star reflected on her gameplay decisions, relationships, and how she felt watching her story on screen.
“Watching myself was a delight. I'm a really nice person. I'm a wonderful person already. But to really see myself from another view, I'm like, ‘Wow, am I really this nice?’” she shared.
Throughout the game, Star was often perceived by others as unpredictable or a "wildcard," especially after she found and openly involved others in solving the Beware Advantage. Her decision to give the idol to Eva Erickson after a tense relationship marked one of the key moments of her season.
While she hoped for new alliances after the merge, a failed attempt to flip the vote led to her elimination. Star also spoke about how being left out of alliances affected her energy and confidence.
Star's idol decision and relationship with Eva in Survivor 48
One of the most talked-about moments in Star’s game was her choice to give her hidden immunity idol to Eva Erickson, despite early tension between them. Star explained that the decision came after Eva shared her autism diagnosis with the tribe following a challenge in Survivor 48. The moment helped Star understand Eva better and motivated her to extend a gesture of trust.
“Eva, here's my olive branch. I'm extending it to you,” Star said.
Star added that her own family experiences helped her connect with Eva’s story. Before the idol was unlocked, Star had tried to involve others in solving the Beware Advantage. Ironically, it was Eva—who had initially been left out—who ended up unlocking it.
Star acknowledged how chaotic that phase became:
“Everyone's telling me different letters... That was chaotic,” she shared.
Despite that, she still hoped to shift her relationship with Eva by handing her the advantage. However, after the merge, Eva was among those pushing for Star’s elimination. Star shared that she believed she and Eva were supposed to be "friends."
She admitted she had briefly daydreamed that Eva might play the idol for her but knew that wasn’t realistic. Still, Star said she stood by her decision and felt that, in the context of the game, giving the idol away lifted a weight off her.
Post-merge gameplay and perceptions from the Survivor 48 tribe
After the merge, Star hoped to shift the power dynamics in the game by aligning with Mary Zheng and Kamilla Karthigesu to target the dominant alliance. However, her earlier vote against Mitch Guerra became a barrier in Survivor 48. When she brought up potential targets like Shauhin or Eva, the response was vague.
“If no one gives you a definite answer and they say, ‘Hmm, I don’t know,’ the answer is, ‘No, I’m not helping you,’” she said.
Despite knowing she was on the outs, Star chose not to play her Shot in the Dark. She believed the numbers could swing in her favor and didn’t want to risk her final option. “This is the only thing I have left,” she explained, adding that she had briefly imagined Eva might use the idol for her — though she knew that was unlikely.
Star also addressed how others viewed her throughout the season, particularly being called “chaotic.” She disagreed with the label and said she believed people misunderstood her.
Interested viewers can watch new episodes of Survivor 48 airing every Wednesday on CBS.
