Kristy Lee Cook / Photo by Frank Micelotta, FOX

Kristy Lee Cook lost a horse and the chance at the Idol crown, but gained a fiancé. Kristy Lee's boyfriend Andy got down on one knee after her farewell performance last night and asked her to marry him.

On the media conference call today, Kristy Lee admitted she and Andy actually became engaged on March 15 in a sauna. She and her betrothed were having a hard time finding a place to talk alone without others around, so they sneaked into a spa (it was turned off, lights were turned on) and that's where he originally proposed. She said she was not expecting his second, more public proposal last night but was glad he knelt since he didn't do it the first time. They have not yet set a date for the wedding, but they're considering next June.

As far as her ouster, Kristy Lee was disappointed and felt she had just hit her stride as a performer on the Idol stage. "I wish I wouldn't have left so soon." She adds "I wanted to make top five."

"I was starting to come out of the shell and sing the songs I was comfortable with" ... "I thought my performance was pretty strong this past week, so I'm happy I went out on that note."

More from the media interview after the jump...

[More:]

On her farewell performance and serenading Simon: "He said, 'Well you made it awkward for me' and I said 'Well now you know what it's like for us to sing in front of you all the time.'"

On Simon's critiques of her in general: "I believe that he was just being skeptical because I started out kind of weak." She explains that she was sick for the first three weeks of the competition in Hollywood and it took her awhile to reach her "comfort zone."

"I tend to not hang onto the negative comments." ... "If I agree with it, I'll try to take the advice and do better."

"[Simon's] got his own remarks that are not very nice to people. After a time, it kind of builds up."

"I know in the bottom of my heart that I haven't shown Simon and America what I have."

On her strategy singing Lee Greenwood's "God Bless The U.S.A": "That was actually my choice. My sister and I actually kind of plotted our heads together and came up with that song." ... "My dad was in Vietnam and he absolutely loved that song. I love that song and I've sang it for a long time."

On her country-fied version of The Beatles' "Eight Days a Week": I kind of have mixed feelings on it because a lot of people actually liked it. A lot of people I worked with on stage...they absolutely loved the version." ... "But I know the judges have a lot of influence on the viewers." She went on to say that if the judges would have given her more credit for making the song her own, more viewers would have appreciated the performance.

What she would have performed for Andrew Lloyd Webber week: "Don't Cry For Me Argentina" from the musical Evita.

Her favorite celebrity encounters during Idol Gives Back: Carrie Underwood, Robin Williams and Gloria Estefan.

What she's learned from the competition: "It's been an amazing experience. I've learned all different kinds of stress levels I've never known in my life. I learned how to make friends and what singers go through to perform every week and learn songs every week." ... "I'm thankful for every moment of it. It was so much fun."

On mentors Mariah Carey and Dolly Parton: "I definitely learned a lot. They are the sweetest people. They're huge stars and for them to just remain sweet and caring and supportive of everything that we're doing ... If I become a famous singer, I want to be able to still be the genuine and humble girl. I don't want to ever come across as being a diva." ... "They both said wonderful things to me and I took that to heart and I'll never forget that."

To her fans: "Thank you so much for voting for me and keeping me on the show as long as you did. I hope to see everybody on tour."