X-Factor Winner 2012 Tate Stevens Mentored by L.A. Reid, Results Show Finale Recap: LeAnn Rimes Drunk during Duet with Carly Rose Sonenclar? [VIDEOS]

The highly-anticipated finale of the second season of FOX's "X-Factor" U.S.A. aired on Thursday evening, Dec. 20 - and country singing sensation Tate Stevens walked away as the champion and $5 million prize winner! The 37-year-old Missouri native beat out adorable 13-year-old Carly Rose Sonenclar and the popular all-girls group Fifth Harmony to claim the title of season 2 victor. Following the show, Stevens (who originally put his singing career on hold to support his wife and children) couldn't conceal his excitement, telling USA Today, "It's amazing. It feels great. I'm still trying to take it in. It was so intense the last few minutes of the show, I wanted to throw up. It was terrible. They called my name and it was huge. It's very cool. I'm very blessed. God is great." Meanwhile, popular country songstress LeAnn Rimes fired back on Twitter Thursday, after receiving some backlash for her "X-Factor" duet with Sonenclar on Wednesday (where many fans and critics insisted that she was definitely drunk). Rimes insists that's not the case, and she's never been anything but professional when performing onstage. Read on for more details and to catch some of the performances from this week's "X-Factor" finale shows.

Thursday evening's finale was a festive event that got everyone in the holiday spirit. Stevens busted out the classic Xmas favorite "Please Come Home for Christmas," backed by a chorus of sexy, dancing female elves.

The all-girls pop group Fifth Harmony (mentored by Simon Cowell) then hit the stage to perform the catchy 1960s hit "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)."

Last but not least, Britney Spears' protégé Sonenclar sang an awesome rendition of "All I Want for Christmas" with a crew of backup, break- dancing toy soldiers.

The 2012 two-hour finale episode was highlighted by witty commentary from hosts Khloe Kardashian and Mario Lopez, flashback video clips of the performers and judges throughout the season, and a number of special guest appearances including Pitbull and One Direction. By the end of the show over 35 million votes were cast, and L.A. Reid's contestant was ultimately named the victor. Stevens then took the stage to perform Chris Young's tune "Tomorrow."

According to judge and mentor L.A. Reid, Stevens definitely deserves the title of "X-Factor" season 2 champ:

"First of all, he presented himself well and he sings really well. But (he's) also a real lovable human being. It was the whole him supporting the family, the family supporting him. It was like the American Dream. The first time I saw him I said this guy's an American classic, an authentic, true-to-life country singer. And I think all those things sort of resonated with the Tate Nation that voted for him."

Cowell also sees Stevens pursuing a very successful country singing career - "There's a gap in the market for him. I think he will sell records and he's very determined. He reminds me a bit of Garth Brooks."

As for Stevens - he insists the competition hasn't changed him and he still remains the lovable, laidback country boy from the Midwest. He plans on going to Nashville to start thinking about some future recording - "I'm going to dance with the one [genre] that got me here. It's going to be country. It's going to be a lot of fun. I'm going to put some very fun tracks on there. I'm sure I'll do some old, tug-at-your-heart country ballads. I'm excited."

Congrats to Stevens on his "X-Factor" and $5 million win!

As for the rumors about 30-year-old pop-country singer LeAnn Rimes being drunk during her Wednesday evening performance of "How Do I Live" alongside Sonenclar (Dec. 19), she insists that just isn't true. She posted this lengthy message to fans on Twitter following the show:

@leannrimes: "In my 18 years of performing, I have never been anything but professional onstage. It is a shame that gossip and lies are overshadowing the performance of Carly, a very talented young girl... And while I have not given any media outlet a quote, if you want one, here it is: 'It was an amazing opportunity to share this experience with Carly and I know I'll be watching for her to win tonight.'"

Despite the fact that many viewers claim Rimes was definitely inebriated during her performance, Sonenclar seemed absolutely thrilled to have had the opportunity to sing with her:

"That was one of the most fun moments I've had on the stage ... I had a blast," she told host Mario Lopez following the act. The young singer then turned to Rimes and said, "I was really comfortable. You made me very comfortable."

What do Mstarz readers think - does Rimes appear drunk during the duet? And do fans think Tate Stevens deserved the title of "X-Factor" season 2 champ?