American Idol Carrie Underwood and (below) runner-up Bo Bice

Girl-next-door charm outdid on-stage charisma in an American dream come true. Carrie Underwood, the girl from a farm in Checotah, Oklahoma, who never got on a plane till five months ago, now has access to her own private jet, having raked in millions of votes to take home the American Idol season four crown.

The finale ? which host Ryan Seacrest called the battle between a ?country girl with heart versus the Southern rocker with soul? ? saw country stealing the title, despite runner-up Bo Bice?s best attempts.

The long-haired 29-year-old man from Tulsa dared to be different, bringing in the sounds of rock on what had been a predominantly pop stage so far.

What the 22-year-old Carrie lacks in attitude (forget about Bo; she is even miles behind last year?s winner Fantasia in terms of stage presence) the blonde made up with innocence, a pure voice tailor-made for ballads and a sweet smile.

The two-hour special, which aired live in India on STAR World on Thursday morning, was an action-packed ride, with the top 10 finalists appearing with stars including Lynyrd Skynyrd, Babyface, Kenny G and George Benson.

Though the final votes on the ?most watched show in America? had been cast (over 500 million votes were registered through the season) Bo and Carrie took the Kodak Theatre stage to perform a couple of tracks, including a duet of Up Where We Belong.

It was always going to be a close call between the two that outlasted thousands of hopefuls, and till the final showdown, it seemed Bo had the upper hand. However, Carrie nosed forward on the last lap, with judge Simon Cowell ? who can be cruel but is rarely wrong ? predicting that Carrie may have done just enough to win the competition on Wednesday?s last chance.

But there is no reason for Bo?s fans to fret. Rest assured, you will be hearing much more from and about him. He will be coming out with an album as fast as he can ? probably as fast as Carrie herself ? with senior producers openly offering him deals during the show.

Carrie?s debut single Inside Your Heaven ? which she performed as a tear-choked sign-off on Thursday ? will be out soon.

Runners-up have fared just as well as winners of previous seasons. Even the sallow Clay Aiken from two seasons ago had enough of a fan following to ensure a chart-topping album as did winner Reuben.

With the continued success of the Fox TV talent hunt, summer auditions for season five have already been announced.

Till then (as Seacrest might say), it?s Idol, out!