"American Idol" dreamboat Trevor Holmes got sent home by Katy Perry this week -- but he ain't mad at her ... 'cause their viral "flirting" put him and his music on the map.
We spoke to Trevor a day after his final episode on 'Idol' aired Monday, in which he got eliminated by the judges ... and had the news delivered by none other than Katy.
In case you haven't been following along this season ... Trevor and Katy have sorta had a thang between them since his original audition -- even though he's got a GF, Sierra.
In hindsight, Trevor tells us he has no regrets or resentment about being booted -- although he acknowledges the Katy-Sierra "love triangle" being played up screwed with him a bit.
Still ... he doesn't have a single bad thing to say about Katy or 'Idol,' adding that the exposure kick-started his music career and put him in the public eye. Put more simply ... THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!!!