Last words: Fallen Idol Amanda Overmyer says goodbye

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“It really is such a crap shoot being the square peg in a round hole,” explained recently eliminated “Idol” contestant Amanda Overmyer in a conference call with the media this morning. Throughout the call, Amanda seemed both utterly unsurprised by her ouster and at peace with it. “I know how different I am and I know that I target an older audience and a different audience than maybe ‘American Idol’ provides,” said Amanda.

When a reporter asked Amanda about her behavior while receiving feedback from the judges, Amanda’s response was startling coming from an ‘Idol’ contestant: “I just wanted to be respectful and listen, but the comments weren’t gonna sway me one way or the other.” Yes, Amanda actually admitted that the judges’ advice did not affect her performance one iota. “Their comments are based on excelling within the competition,” Amanda later added, suggesting that success within the competition wasn’t what she was after. Amanda was much more concerned with staying true to herself.

And Amanda never had to compromise her integrity as a performer ... well, almost never. In a chat with Ryan Seacrest this morning, and again during her conference call with the media, Amanda was more than willing to bash one part of the process. “My least favorite would have been all the group numbers we had to do,” she admitted, laughing.

So, what’s next for Amanda? Well, for one, she’s engaged. When asked if her fiancé was her “rock” during her time on ‘Idol,’ the ever self-sufficient Amanda mused, “I think I was more his rock ... cause he was home alone.” So, would any of Amanda’s fellow Idols be getting an invite to her wedding? “I’d surely invite at least a couple of ‘em,” Amanda said. “I’m kinda standoffish,” she acknowledged, “but in any situation where a group of people go through something like this, there’s an element of camaraderie.”

And although much of America was shocked to see her go, Amanda wasn’t surprised, explaining that when she landed in the bottom three, she knew “that more than likely I would be done.” Before the ax fell, Amanda stood beside her petrified fellow contestant, Kristy Lee Cook, and dispensed some beautifully unsentimental advice. “I told her to chill out and stop worrying,” Amanda said with a chuckle. Now, this one, we’re going to miss.

-- Stephanie Lysaght