'American Idol' Exit Q&A: Brooke White

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ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: How weird was it for all of you when Paula made her now-infamous blunder, commenting on Jason Castro's second song before he sang it?
BROOKE WHITE: I don't know exactly what happened with Paula. It was a confusing night. People make mistakes, like last week when I stopped and started again. It's live television. We're humans. And humans make errors. Some people like to hold onto things for a long time.

When we met last week, you told me that you tortured yourself about starting over. How did you move past that?
You know, it didn't hit me what I did until after it was over. Like, how did that just happen? The situation can do some pretty funny things to you. You're a fish out of water. Sometimes I feel really at home on stage, and sometimes I don't. It's all over my face when I'm comfortable.

I think that's what people like about you.
Or hate about me.

Do you think people hated you?
Well, hate is a strong word, but maybe I wasn't everyone's favorite.

The judges told me that they think it will be a David Cook vs. David Archuleta finale. Did you all know that's how they felt?
I don't know how to answer that question. It's very clear they're strong contestants. They've done pretty well and they've been pretty consistent, so it's a fairly easy observation to make. At the same time, the show is very unpredictable. Look at Chris Daughtry. Look at Michael Johns. It's in the country's hands. Sometimes people don't vote when they think someone is safe. So anything could happen.

Do you have anything good to say about being voted off?
I talked to Carly Simon this morning. I was doing an interview and they got her on the line. She was so kind and generous with her thoughts and comments. I felt like I could relate to her, even her voice. This little raspy thing I have has taken me years to accept. Some days I wish I could belt out notes. But she just gave me wonderful and generous thoughts. It was incredible and gave me a real boost to make it through this day.

Will you be focusing on recording now that you're off the show?
Yeah. I did an independent album before the show. I didn't have a record deal. But I'm here. I'm in Van Nuys. I'm here to do this. I'm here to work.

So you won't be going back to the nanny gig anytime soon? Because I bet you could get a raise.
The family always joked they'd give me a raise if I went back. They're the most gorgeous kids, and I love them to pieces. But, well, I'll just say I don't mind babysitting every once in a while.