As we bide our time to see Kristy Lee Cook go home, here is a talk I had with Constantine Maroulis, co-host of “Idol Extra” on Fox Reality Channel, before last night’s performances. “I have been enjoying myself thoroughly,” he said. “It’s great to see the old crew, see a lot of my favorite faces.”

Constantine is one of the few former “Idols” who won’t pull punches if he doesn’t like a singer. His take on some of the contestants:

David Archuleta: “I think he wins this thing. He’s supertalented. He stumbled a bit last week but it made him more endearing and humanized. He’s very young, very gifted. He knows how to intepret a song. And he’s go that ethnic thing going. It’s just cool. He’s very commercial and sweet. The little girls go crazy for him like the Jonas Brothers.”

Brooke White: “She’s very gifted, an attractive singer songwriter. Girls like her are the capital I to the T right now. Take Colby Caillat or Sara Barielles. She’s got that cool Carly Simon thing going. She’s married, very unaffected. She’s got a naturally beautiful voice. She can play guitar and piano.”

Carly Smithson: “She’s the opposite. She should go all out Evanescence/Kelly Clarkson. She could be a big star.”

Michael Johns: “He should stick with that Maroon 5 vibe.” He’s not sure he can win. “He’s going to have to make some noise.”

David Cook: “He has the potential though not quite as big as Daughtry. He’s more like Third Eye Blind-meets-Daughtry. I don’t know if he’s as universally commercial as Daughtry. Daughtry has that Nickelback generic band feel. I don’t know if David is quite liek that He’s a little more artsy sprinkled in.”

Jason Castro: “He’s in the mix. He won’t win. He’s very young. But there’s something real. I really liked his Beatles song [“If I Fell”]. That last note was a little pitched and sour. He ended a good performance on a weird note. That kinds of takes away from it.”

Chikezie Eze: “He stepped it up [last week.] He certainly did smash it. But I don’t think he’ll be around much longer. He’s a good performer. But this is how I equate it: will you go pay to see a Chikezie concert?”

Syesha Mercado: “She’s had a cool personality. She’s been laid back. But she was annoying during Hollywood with those signs [she used them because she had laryngitis.] That thing about being a working actress. Annoying, too. And though she has a top-notch powerhouse voice, it’s masturbatory. It’s just over the top. Lots of oversinging.”

Ramiele Malubay: “She’s pretty but she’s no star. This is the year with actual stars. She’s forgettable.”

Kristy Lee Cook: “I want to shake her. I hear a voice there. But she doesn’t know how to use it. She’s pretty but she’s pretty stiff up there, too. When I first heard ‘Eight Days a Week.’ I thought at first it could be cool. But it then went down the toilet.”

Somehow, I forgot to ask him about Amanda Overmyer. Oops!

But when I said Kellie Pickler would be on tonight, he said, “She’s the worst singer finalist in Idol history.” (I don’t agree!) He does think she’s got a fun, infectious personality that makes up for that.

His take on season six: “It was a very lackluster year although Jordin is outstanding.” He thinks Blake will disappear soon. “It’s more than just having a great singing voice,” he said, referencing Melinda.

As for his own career, he might return to “The Bold and the Beautiful.” He’s pondering possible theater shows. “I won’t be going anywhere anytime soon.” As for the haters, “A lot of people don’t understand me. The people who know me well like me. Certain dudes I rubbed the wrong way.”

He said he’s had a few breaks and a few unlucky breaks post “Idol.” “The Idol machine didn’t fully embrace what I was doing post Idol but I’ve proven to be a hustler and I do good work.” He has sold about 30,000 copies of his CD, of which most of it goes straight into his pocket. He realizes he didn’t have that hot single off that CD like another indie artist Elliott Yamin with “Wait For You.”

“I still plan on pursuing a recording career. I’d still like to be Jon Bon Jovi or Freddie Mercury. I have something to say.” Jane, a big Constantine fan, asked me to ask him if he was going to sing on “Idol Extra.” He said the day they taped a bunch of “Idol” contestants singing, he was out of town but he still might do something. He has no plans to hit Atlanta anytime soon but he hopes to. He is enjoying hosting and would like to perhaps do a variety show.