Dark horse Kris Allen wins "American Idol"

By Alex Dobuzinskis and Nichola Groom

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Arkansas student Kris Allen won the eighth season of "American Idol" on Wednesday, dealing an unexpected defeat to singing rival Adam Lambert on the most popular U.S. television show.

Allen, 23, who won over audiences with his all-American good looks and by putting his personal spin on popular tunes, appeared shocked as Lambert, a 27-year-old musical theater actor, embraced him after host Ryan Seacrest's announcement.

"It feels good, but Adam deserves this," Allen said. "I don't even know what to feel right now, this is crazy."

A record high of nearly 100 million votes were cast in the finale. The "Idol" win guarantees Allen a recording contract.

A college student and devout Christian from Arkansas, Allen was the more clean-cut of the two finalists.

He often performed with his acoustic guitar, winning praise for rearranging well-known tunes, among them Michael Jackson's "Remember the Time" and Bill Withers' "Ain't No Sunshine."

As recently as last week, Allen was considered a long shot heading into the battle for the top two "Idol" spots, but he wowed the show's judges with his rendition of Kanye West's "Heartless," ousting early favorite Danny Gokey.

Even hours after winning, Allen appeared stunned.