We encoded the entire interview and I wrote out snippets for you to read:

On sitting with Ace Young in AI audience

I’m just not interested. I love him. He’s like my brother.

They’re like the family I’ve never had. They’re all like my brothers and sisters. We all look out for each other. There’s no “romance” going on.

On cutting her hair

I chopped it all off

I was going through this stage where I was like I kind of want something new and different so we just cut it off. It will grow. I haven’t decided if I like better like this or long.

You come back for the finale and it’s something fresh and new

On the upcoming Idol tour

We’ve got the top 12 back together for finale, one big family. We’re doing the top 10 tour in the summer together and I’m really excited because we haven’t seen each other in so long. It’s just a great group.

You would think there would be a lot of animosity because it is a competition but there’s none. None whatsoever.

On what she is not looking forward

I’m addicted to shoes…I’ve just informed that we can only have like a small travel suitcase because we’re going to be on tour buses. So I’m not going to be able to bring all of my shoes.

Each city that we go to we have to have something that we get…In my case I’m going to buy a pair of shoes in every city that I go to. And I think we’re going to like 43 cities so…that’s going to be my collection.

Some people collect bottle caps…me shoes.

The tour is going to come to North Carolina, but I’m really upset and I need to vent. They’re not going to Albemarle!

I’m really hurt. OK? We’re not going to Albemarle so what? You know why I think? Because we don’t’ have a coliseum anymore. We have corn fields. We have fields.

On the final 2 Taylor and Kat

This is the best show ever. This year has been the best season. The best contestants, the most talent. Man I tell you, it’s been one heck of a ride.

America decides and it is what it is. They’re both talented.

One people being able to vote more than one time

You have these fans of the show, they’re Idol troopers. We have people who wait outside the studio at like the crack of dawn just to get in and some of them don’t get in the show. They travel from all across the country.

I think it’s great they can vote as many times they want. I mean, that makes it fun.

I met this lady and she voted 800 times for me.

On Kat and Taylor behind the scenes

Taylor is so funny. He cannot be still. He is so figgidy…he’s all over the place. He has so much energy.

Kat and I were roommates before I got the boot. She’s a great girl. She’s so beautiful and so sweet and she was kind of like my big sister that I never had.

On Egos

We’re all there for one thing. We’re all there to win…but I was there to build relationships with the contestants. They’re like the family that I never had.

Scoop on finale

The top 12 back together…It’ll be a good show

I don’t have a reason to be nervous now because I’m not being judged.

On Dad at finale

I was so glad to see him. We got reunited again and it was so beautiful, it was so sweet.

It was so sweet because…I was so worried because he’s made a lot of mistakes. Who hasn’t? I was so worried that he would come back to Albemarle - you know small town, everybody knows everybody and everybody knows everyone’s business – and they wouldn’t give him a chance. I was really worried about how the public would treat him and the media. Try to make him look like this horrible person.

It’s all about forgiveness, because every day I get on my hands and knees and I beg the Lord to forgive me for my sins. Who am I to not forgive him for his. I just look like it as I am just so grateful to have him back in my life and I’m excited about our future together and I’m really excited that he’s going to be at the show. Obviously he hasn’t been able to come to any of the shows, but he’s been pulling for me and watching.

We went through this long parole issue because he was in Florida state prison and we had to go through this parole battle to get him to come back to North Carolina and finish his parole out.

He’s actually going to released to come to the finale…and then he’ll have to come back and finish out his parole.

It will be the first time he’s ever seen me perform on stage.

I don’t feel like I have to prove anything. He’s proud of me…he’s my biggest fan. In spite of all of the obstacles that we’ve had to overcome together we’re really close and I love him. He’s my dad.

On how Idol changed her life

When the show first started out I was really honest and open about – and I have been throughout the whole show – about my life and different family obstacles that I’ve had to overcome. I have been very honest