Kris Allen was named season eight’s “American Idol” Wednesday night, and no one seemed more surprised than he was when host Ryan Seacrest announced his name, rather than that of longtime front-runner Adam Lambert.

Allen, 23, from Conway, Ark., a college student and church worship leader, reacted with an open-mouthed look of total shock at Seacrest’s announcement as he and Lambert stood on the stage at the conclusion of a two-hour, star-studded musical extravaganza that ended Idol’s five-month, twice-weekly run.

“Are you serious?” shouted Allen. “You just won American Idol, bro!” Seacrest emphasized, holding a mic up to Allen’s mouth. “Are you freak-in’ serious?” Allen replied. Seacrest riffed, “The underdog, the dark horse, comes back and wins the nation over. How does it feel?”

“It feels good, man, but Adam deserves this,” Allen said, then added, “I’m sorry, but I don’t even know what to feel right now. This is crazy. Thank you so much.”

Nearly 100 million votes were received after Tuesday night’s performance show, Seacrest announced, a new record. Voting totals this season have been consistently the highest ever, with Lambert’s electrifying performances getting credit for the voting surges.

Lambert had been the favorite nearly from the beginning—Allen was so little regarded that a mere five seconds of his Louisville audition were shown in a group montage before he appeared in Hollywood. During the Hollywood rounds, none of his solos were televised.

Lambert, on the other hand, had been spotlighted from the very beginning and gained momentum as he succeeded week after week in different genres.

Lambert and Allen placed in the bottom three only once, the same week, when the group sang songs popularized by the Rat Pack.

The announcement ended a fast-paced show that featured the top 13 Idol contestants, many of whom dueted with stars. Lil Rounds sang with Queen Latifah, while several finalists took the stage with Jason Mraz and with the Black Eyed Peas. Fan favorite Allison Iraheta did “Time After Time” with Cyndi Lauper, their smoky voices melding perfectly. Third-place finisher Danny Gokey sang with Lionel Richie. Kris Allen did a duet with Keith Urban, and Lambert fronted for KISS. Just before the winner’s name was announced, both Allen and Lambert sang “We Are the Champions” with the remaining members of Queen. Rod Stewart and David Cook, last year’s winner, also performed.