Sussex Pop Idol hopeful Chris Hide has sailed through the latest hurdle in the ITV show.
The teenager from Lancing now has a one in eight chance of winning the title.
The 18-year-old progressed comfortably into the last eight of the ITV show that made stars of Will Young and Gareth Gates.
For Saturday's live programme the ten remaining contestants had to sing songs dating back to the year of their birth.
Despite his powerful voice Chris got a mixed reception from the judges. Neil Fox, who first dubbed the teenager "the vicar" in an earlier audition, told the former Boundstone Community College student he found it uncomfortable watching him perform Heaven.
But the audience disagreed and Chris again escaped the dreaded bottom three position.
The teenager, who not so long ago was a tenor in his school choir, remains one of the favourites to win the competition, which reaches it climax just before Christmas.
The two finalists to be eliminated on Saturday were Scot Marc Dillon, whose rendition of Celebration failed to impress, and Irish favourite Brian Ormond, who was criticised for giving a flat performance of Billy Joel's Honesty.
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