Following her emotional elimination from American Idol this week, Ramiele Malubay spoke to TV Guide. Here are highlights from the interview:

On Simon Cowell:"Oh, he likes me, I know he does. I... believe in my heart that he says the things he says, sometimes he overdoes it; it's TV, but he just wants us to be better."

Advice for future American Idol contestants: "Be yourself... enjoy every single minute of it, because if you think too far ahead you're going to miss the fun stuff when you look back."

What she learned: "I learned to be [a more] humble person. I learned to... appreciate the little things and to be more courteous to people."