With his clean-cut looks and modest manner, mums and aunties are falling for the charms of 18-year-old Chris Hide before he even opens his mouth.

Most teenagers would take offence at being likened to a vicar on national television - especially on a programme searching for the nation's next big pop star.

Yet not only is Chris, from Lancing, not offended, he is positively grateful the judges on ITV1's Pop Idol took the trouble to call him names.

Now the boy told he has the looks of a vicar is proving he has the heavenly voice of an angel as he threatens to become the runaway favourite to win this year's competition.

This time last year, Chris was starting his final year at Boundstone Community College in Lancing, studying for A-levels, singing for the school choir and dreaming of duetting with Elton John.

This year he is preparing to take the stage and sing to an audience of millions. At stake - fame, fortune and the career he has always dreamt of.

But down-to-earth Chris seems far from daunted.

He plans to keep his nerves under control the same way he did during previous auditions by pretending he is singing in the shower.

Forty-eight hours before making his bid for a place in the Pop Idol top ten, Chris was yesterdaytrying to relax at home in Lancing.

He had just been named the bookies' favourite to win Saturday's heat and the overall competition.

He said: "I've wanted to get into the music industry since I was knee high but I didn't realise I was particularly a singer until I was 14.

"I watched Pop Idol last year and knew it was something I would enjoy so I jumped straight in."

Having made it through the initial off-camera auditions, Chris braced himself for his first attempt to sing in front of the Pop Idol panel of Neil Fox, Nicki Chapman, Pete Waterman and Simon Cowell.

Most contestants flee the stage with the sharp criticisms of Simon ringing in their ears.

But as Chris finished his rendition of Another Level's From The Heart, it wasn't Simon who made the killer comment but Neil Fox.

He told Chris he had walked in looking like a vicar yet the DJ was clearly intrigued, admitting he didn't sound like any vicars he knew.

Chris said: "It was a surprise because it was such an unusual thing to say. I had never been referred to like that in the past. But it wasn't offensive. I thought it was interesting."

Chris had already guessed his image might come under scrutiny but had turned up for his audition with his normal look, which involved a checked shirt and glasses.

He took Fox's comments to heart and by his second audition had made some changes.

"Looking back I'm glad if I looked different because it obviously made an impact. They remembered me and I think it went in my favour that I just didn't blend in. To have an identity is important, especially on a TV show where it makes good television.

"A lot of people still refer to me as the vicar. I don't have a problem with it but because I want to get into the industry as a serious artist, I hope I can lose it eventually."

In the end Chris sailed into the final 50 with an impressive performance of Percy Sledge's When A Man Loves A Woman.

There was a nervous moment when Pete Waterman started laughing but the laugh turned out to be positive, with Pete telling him he had ad-libbed his way through it like a man of 55.

Chris said: "The good thing is I've been getting a lot of constructive advice. I've always been unsure how Simon feels about me because he doesn't give me praise. It appears he isn't as impressed as the others.

"But that really helped me. I've never wanted to walk out of an audition thinking there's nothing else I can work on."

However, the public seem to like what they see and Ladbrokes think tomorrow's performance of BoyzIIMen's End of the Road will see Chris win through alongside his friend Rebecca, who Fox has dubbed a chocolate eclair.

But they face a stiff challenge from favourite Michelle.

Chris said: "Lots of different papers have their own favourites but we've tried not to let it affect us.

"But there's no real rivalry. The standard is so high this year I feel my group of ten could be the final ten. You just don't know what will happen.

"In rehearsals one minute it's this person and then someone gives a powerful performance which is just right and you think they are going to power through.

"I am just going to have to stay confident and remember the most important thing is that the audience enjoy it. To get through would be fantastic but I just want to show the public what I can do."

His parents Brian and Penny will be in the audience, clearly having forgiven their son for forcing them to cancel the family holiday to Florida they booked last year.

Fame is beckoning Chris and he is happy to embrace it: "Initially I went into it purely for the fact I love singing. But I'm enjoying this now.

"At least I don't have any dark secrets for the Sunday papers to find out about."

Chris says he is "free and single" but he is still waiting for the screaming girls.

So far he has given his autograph to the son of one friend and been grabbed at by a woman while out shopping.

He said: "She grabbed my arm then ran off hysterically down the road. It was quite strange."

Pop Idol with Ant and Dec is on ITV1 tomorrow at 7pm.