Perth singer Michael Johns says he's "livid" at reports he hoped to win American Idol in memory of his mate Heath Ledger - because the two were never friends.
Speaking from the US, a day after being booted off American Idol, Johns said reports that he was friends with Ledger and had dedicated his Idol experience to him were untrue.
"I wasn't friends with Heath Ledger at all," Johns said.
"The guy's a legend, I thought he did great in his career, and will be sorely missed, but I never said that."
Johns said he was so angry about the story which quoted a "friend" and was widely circulated around the world, that he asked his mum to contact the Ledgers to set the story straight.
"When I saw that come out in Star Magazine I was livid," he said.
"I actually told my mum when she got back to Perth please reach out to Heath's family and let them know that that's absolutely bogus."
One of the favourites to win American Idol, Johns was booted off in a shock elimination after singing Aerosmith's Dream On for which judge Simon Cowell labelled him a "wannabe".
He made it to the final seven contestants.
Johns said he thought Cowell, who had earlier heaped praise on him, had been unfair on him.
"Simon wanted me to do the blues stuff every week," he said.
"I think some weeks he was definitely unfair with me, like he was holding me to a different standard or something.
"But I said: 'Look man, if I do the blues stuff every week you'd be bored of it and then you'd turn on me'."
The 29-year-old will take part in an American Idol tour from July to September.
He hopes to visit Australia in October, and one of his dreams is to tour Down Under.
Johns moved to the US when he was 18 to attend college and is married to a Texan woman, but said he was still a "proud Aussie."
"It's like you never lose the sense of humour," he said.
"You can't be from a better country in the world, I mean we're loved everywhere we go."
Johns is expected to get a record deal through his American Idol management group and wants to release a rock/soul album.
He said he wasn't prepared for fame.
"It's weird enough for me that Australia knows who I am, that's so strange," he said.
American Idol, now in its seventh series, is being aired on pay TV channel Fox8 in Australia.
Johns' final appearance will air on Sunday at 6.30pm (AEST).
