Aaron Walpole is one cool dude.

Despite being ousted from Canadian Idol just one week before the show's grand finale, the 26-year-old Ontario boy is not sweating it.

"My family was livid -- I was calming them down," he says about his elimination Wednesday night. "It doesn't matter to me. It's not the end of the world."

As a professional actor, Walpole says he treated his 11 weeks on Idol as national audition with the goal of getting noticed.

That's something he definitely accomplished.

On Tuesday's show, he delivered a stirring rendition of Break My Heart, which received a standing ovation from the crowd and rave reviews from the judges.

"It would have been nice (to win) but I feel like I've already gone the distance," says Walpole.

"My agent's phone has been ringing off the hook with offers. That's exactly what I set out to do."

Since appearing on the show, Walpole, who performed in Damn Yankees at Stage West three years ago and had to turn down a role in the company's California Dreaming to be on Idol, has been offered roles in several musicals.

His band Hooligan's Holiday has also had offers to play a couple big venue shows in his hometown of St. Thomas.

"Right now, I'm concentrating on music. I want to have a career like Meatloaf, but only more. I can't wait to get home and get things going."

Walpole, however, will have to wait another week. The finalist is moving out of the Canadian Idol mansion today and into a Toronto hotel where he'll stay until Wednesday's finale.

"I'm looking forward to it because my girlfriend is coming for the show next week. It will be our first time alone in months," he says.

"You're not allowed to have any over night guests here."

Walpole is also looking forward to taking a break. Since the Top 10 began, the Idols have worked an average of 10 hours a day without a day off, he says.

"The best thing about that is I've lost 40 pounds. When we started, I was 302, now I'm 258 -- it's kind of cool.

"They starve us here and make us run on treadmills like hamsters," he jokes.

With Walpole's elimination, the stage is now set for next week's dramatic Canadian Idol finale in which Newfoundland's Rex Goudie, 19, will go head-to-head with Calgary's Melissa O'Neil, 17.

Walpole says it's impossible to predict who will win, but he believes O'Neil should.

"Rex has a heart of gold and I love him to pieces, but as far as the competition goes, I'd say Melissa," he says.

"She's more of an Idol to me. She loves this and everybody loves her. She's someone people can look up to."

During next Tuesday's performance episode, Goudie and O'Neil will sing three songs each, including the debut of Alive, the new Idol single.

Canadian Idol airs at 9 p.m. Tuesday and 8 p.m. Wednesday on CTV.