The Chronicle caught up with James Monday morning after he had been engaged in back-to-back radio interviews since dawn.

There was a sense of relief in his voice – as if to say ‘it’s over’.

Although he was disappointed to have been eliminated, it was what he expected to happen on Sunday night.

“I’m feeling good – I made it to the top three of Idol you know, I haven’t done too bad,” he said.

He admitted to feeling emotional when soaking up the praise from the judges and audience on Sunday night. He even got a standing ovation.

“I was holding back the tears a little bit . . . When you think about where I’ve come from – I’m just a boy from Wingham – it’s beyond me.”

One of the most exciting parts of James’ Idol journey came at the end when he met one of his idols, Canadian crooner Michael Bublé.

James said he was “the coolest guy” with a wicked sense of humour.

James enjoyed a half-hour one-on-one mentoring session with Bublé, who gave James some pointers on the song Everything, which he would have performed had he not been eliminated.

James said his Idol journey was an amazing experience with so many highlights, but he reserved his greatest praise for the people of Wingham.

The support he received blew him away.

“I’m so lucky to have come from a town like this,” he said.

“When I went back (for the surprise concert in Central Park) I realised that’s what it’s all about. It’s a cliché, but that’s where my heart is.

“The Wingham voting block was what kept me going a lot of the weeks.”

From here, James is keen to launch headfirst into writing and recording his own album, perhaps in Taree.

He is not locked into a contract with Sony, so he is free to pursue his own path.

“It’s an exciting time – a new chapter. I’m looking forward to seeing what all of this sort of brings.”

You’ll get to catch James on Idol one last time when he performs at the grand final at the Sydney Opera House.

The Idol finale screens live on Southern Cross Ten from 7.30pm on Sunday.