AFTER recieving the ultimate "let's have a coffee next week" accolade from judge Ian 'Dicko' Dickson last night, outgoing Australian Idol finalist Mark Spano said he's hopeful about his future in the music industry - sort of.

"He's probably going to offer me two sugars and that's it,'' the singer told Confidential today.

"I'm just going to approach this with open arms- I may have to work for it and it may just come to me.''

Dicko said he was so impressed with the 26-year-olds progress on the talent quest compeition he was willing to talk business, and the songwriter said he had enough material to head into the recording studio immediately.

Having been elimated from the Channel Ten series in the midst of a voting scandal, where votes were mistakenly awarded to the wrong contestants after a technical glitch on Sunday night, Spano said the situation was out of his hands.

"I don't reckon it would have made much of a difference and if it did, it's too late now.''

Spano's elimination pushes Sydney singer Wes Carr and country crooner Luke Dickens through to the Opera House finale this Sunday, which will feature performances from this year's top 12 and yet-to-be-announced surprise acts.