He barely made it to seventh place in the competition, but Ace Young thinks he knows what it takes to become the next American Idol.

"The thing I tell people is: You've got to stand up for yourself. If you feel you did a good job or you've related to the music well, you've got to stick up for yourself," said Young.

The ex-model — real name Brett Young — is best known as the guy with the tousled mane and attractive mug who made it to the top 12 in the reality talent competition's fifth season. The sixth season of American Idol premiered last Wednesday in Singapore.

Watching the newest batch of megastar wannabes belt their lungs out on American Idol certainly brought back memories for Young.

On the phone from Los Angeles, Young recalled the arduous process of auditioning he was put through. From sitting outside a field in Denver, Colorado, at 3.30am and waiting almost seven hours with 10,000 aspiring singers, Young was made to wait a further three days before he was auditioned by judges Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul and Randy Jackson.

"I did American Idol to test my ability as a performer and a singer," he said. "It was the only way to find out if I was ready to perform for all of America. They tell you right then if you're good, you're bad or if they don't like your outfit."

The 26-year-old was to learn humility and self-worth the hard way, finding himself a regular in the bottom three and a target of the judge's criticism.

For instance, after Young sang Queen's "We Will Rock You", Cowell said: "It was a complete and utter mess. It was We Will Rock You Gently. I really, really, really hated that."

But since his elimination, the singer has picked himself and, last year, Young founded his own charity — High Rollers with Heart — for children who are ill.

The singer has also released a single, "Scattered", and is working with songwriter Desmond Child, who has collaborated with Bon Jovi, Aerosmith and Ricky Martin.

His comments on the latest season's Idol hopefuls? "I'm very excited to see the talent level," he said. "I can't wait to get to know them and see what makes them tick." - TODAY/so

How to Ace American Idol
What: American Idol Season 6
When: Today, 8pm; Tomorrow, 7.30pm
Where: MediaCorp TV Channel 5