"I had a girlfriend but I no longer have a girlfriend. I'm available," Covais, 16, tells Entertainment Weekly. As for what he calls "the sex-symbol thing" that developed on the show, Covais says: "In all honesty, it was like a joke. I was just trying to be funny and lighten the mood. People sometimes can't tell when I'm serious or joking, and that was me joking when I said I was a sex symbol. I consider myself a pretty funny guy."
Funny – and good-natured. He doesn't mind his Chicken Little nickname. "I'm loving it because I'm a fun-loving guy and I enjoy that type of stuff," he tells PEOPLE. "It's nothing against me. I know that because one of my good friends, Paris Bennett, made it up so I really have nothing against it." And if there's a sequel to the animated movie, might he be offered a voice role? "I hope so. That would be great."
"I definitely plan on pursuing the entertainment business," he tells EW. "I was a little leery about the whole Hollywood thing when I was a young kid. I didn't know if I would fit into that. But doing all this press, it's really exciting. … I'd like to pursue television, maybe movies, and definitely music."
As for women, he said his time in the spotlight has boosted his confidence with them even more. "I can honestly tell you that before (Idol) I was pretty confident with girls," Covais tells MTV.com. "The only difference was I didn't have celebrity status. I'm more confident now, of course. I'm sure certain girls will just want a celebrity who's been on TV, but I'll watch out for those girls."
• Reporting by CARRIE BORZILLO-VRENNA
