David Archuleta says he wasn't shocked when his name wasn't called on Wednesday's American Idol finale.

"Oh, I was pretty sure Cook was going to win anyway!" he told sources after the show. "You know, he's such a great guy. I'm so glad that people really appreciate what he'd been doing because he put a lot of work into this.

"He's been my role model," Archuleta added. "Just a great person to look up to. He's been my big brother through this."

After Cook won, "I just said I'm so proud of him, that he'd earned it," Archuleta said.

What did Cook say to him?

"He just said, 'I love you,'" Archuleta said.

Archuleta also said his father, Jeff — who has been portrayed by some media outlets as a demanding stage dad — was pleased with his second place finish.

"My dad just let me know he's so proud of me," he said. "He's really happy too.

"He was just always there to remind me what music meant, the real depth to music and what it does to reach people's lives," he added. "And my whole family has helped me stay who I am, helped me not change through this."

Archuleta - who will perform in the Idol tour this summer - said he thanks "all the fans who helped me make it this far. I didn’t think I’d even make it past the first round! This has been such a blessing."