Despite being “saved” by the judges just weeks before, Michael Lynche was the next contestant to be eliminated from “American Idol” after receiving the lowest number of votes for his performance of Michael Jackson’s “Will You Be There.” The 26-year-old personal trainer from Queens, N.Y., shared his thoughts in a recent conference call. Excerpts are below.

Q: You were probably the most consistent performer vocally.  You were never pitchy for a lack of a better term.  Do you think you took enough risks and do you believe that the winner will need to take a big risk to win? 

Mike: I don’t know if that’s the right mind frame to go with.  I think you have to show all the sides of you.  I think that with me stepping outside of the R&B realm, that’s risky enough because they see you, they see me, they see how I look and you expect to hear R&B.  And when I do something different, sometimes it’s a little jarring for people to see something different.  I don’t know (if) risk is the right frame of mind, especially some of the guys still left in it, I think they really have to stay true to themselves.  You have to be comfortable up there and you have to just really, really pick songs that mean something to you.  I don’t know if risk is what wins it because at this point, you’ve really solidified what you fan base is.  You have to give them what they want. 

Q: They always call you Big Mike.  Be specific, how tall are you?  How much do you weigh?  How much do you bench press?   

Mike: I’m 6’1”, 300, 505.

Q: What really impressed me was when you talked about your Broadway theatre background in school and showed that you have some real chops in that, tell us a little bit about that. 

Mike: I went through (a) performance arts high school … So with the performing arts, we were able to take dance classes and photography classes and music theory classes.  I got my classical singing training in high school.  Actually, we were able to take a program where we could take college classes from a college professor in classical training and get college credit for it at the school.  They just had so many great opportunities for you there.  I learned to play steel drums there. 

It just really opened me up to do anything I wanted to do besides the fact that I could play sports at the school.  So it was just the best time that I ever had in school was when I was able to get into the theatre shows and you had to audition for the roles.  It was a big deal. 

Q: When might you get back and what are you going to next?  What are your plans for what you’re going to do with yourself now?

Mike: Right now I’m still focused on the show right now.  The top ten will all be back for rehearsals starting on Tuesday.  We have the tour and the tour is also starting in June.  So right now it’s really going to be a good time to reunite with some of my other guys who left the show early and have a really good time this summer.  I’m going to start working on putting together a great album and working with some great people. That’s the number one plan this year is to put out a great album. 

Q: You brought your little girl onto the stage (during the elimination episode) can you talk about what it meant to you to have your wife and child on the state with you at the end? 

Mike: It meant a lot because it really started out with them in Hollywood Week. (It’s) when this whole experience really got real.  It wasn’t about hoping that you do well anymore.  I had to do well.  Because of the sacrificing I was making at that time, it was very important for me to do well.  So to have them there and they would have been there for me if I was working at Home Depot or Dominos Pizza.  My wife just always supports me no matter what, so it’s nice that I get to be the family man.  I’m not anybody else but that.  That’s what I am first, so it was nice that that was my story and that people really saw that.  To have my wife there just really helps your heart out in a tough moment. 

Q: So I wanted to ask, you talked a little bit even during the show about wanting to make the top three, so you could come home and feeling that pressure, did that become a problem at all having to deal with the pressure of wanting to live up to everybody’s expectations? 

Mike: I live for pressure.  I think if you’re going to be something great, you have to be able to deal with a pressured situation … I sang well and performed well and felt good about what I did.  It just so happened that it didn’t happen for me to be in the top three this year.  But I’m where I’m supposed to be and God definitely has a plan on my life and on all of our lives.  I really feel that I’m where I’m supposed to be regardless of what that is.  I don’t feel like I let anyone down.  I came out and did what I do and the people just didn’t vote that way, so it felt good. 

Q: I want to go back a little bit to the top nine when there was the whole bit with the save.   What was going through your head when you were singing for your wife?  Were you terrified and were you surprised that they decided to save you? 

Mike: I wasn’t terrified, no. I felt like going into the season, that I like that concept of sing for you life.  Really every week to me is sing for your life because nothing is guaranteed for you on the show.  Your time isn’t guaranteed at all.  So I never wanted to take anything for granted.  When I got to that point and it was literally sing for your life and the life of your family and your future, here’s your one chance, I felt like I could do that.  I felt going in that I could stand tall in that moment.  When it got down to Andrew and I, I wanted it to be me in that moment, because I didn’t necessarily want him to have to go through that.  He’s a good buddy of mine and I just felt strong enough and prepared enough to take that moment on.  It worked out, so I wasn’t surprised that they saved me, just extremely grateful to still be around.

Q: Just a quick follow-up to the saving card.  This is the second time that the judges played the saving cards this year.  Now none of those times whoever the judges saves didn’t manage to get into the top three.  Now from the point of view of the one being saved, do you think that it’s necessary for the show because after all whoever makes you pass through to the finals or not is the viewers and not the judges, even if they think you’re worth saving?  So what do you think about this? 

Mike: I think it’s two sided. I think as far as the voting goes, it’s really one of my favorite parts of the show that people get to pick their champion.  But it also depends on who’s voting.  I think that as far as the save goes, it really speaks to your work ethic and your professionalism and what they see of you behind, not just on the stage for that little minute thirty that the audience and that America really sees.  The judges get to see a bit more of us and how your reputation is around the set and whatnot and around the crew.  I think it just speaks to who you are as a professional for them to take that chance to save you and to say to America think about this again because this person really has shown us to be a professional and to be somebody worth taking a look at.  So I think it’s two sided with it.