Chris Hide plans to sleep under a special souvenir from his own Pop Idol.

The 18-year-old was given a framed plaque by his hero Elton John while on the show.

After being booted out of TV's Pop Idol last weekend, Chris brought the present home to Lancing - where it is to have pride of place in his bedroom.

Chris, dubbed The Vicar in his initial audition by judge Neil Fox due to his conservative style, said receiving the plaque was one of the highlights of his Pop Idol experience.

He said: "I met Elton John when he came to see us at the house. I was so shocked.

"He gave us the plaque, which was awarded to him for selling more than a million copies of his greatest hits album.

"It's a very treasured gift and when I left I brought it home with me. It will have pride of place in my bedroom."

And Chris revealed how he had turned down the opportunity to attend Thursday's premiere of Return Of The King - the third in the Lord Of The Rings trilogy - so he could spend the evening tidying his bedroom and preparing for an interview for yesterday's Southern FM's breakfast show.

He said: "I had a little bit of a headache earlier in the day but I got home early so I could tidy my room and get ready for the interview, so I turned it down."

Life after Pop Idol has been a whirlwind of interviews and TV appearances, including GMTV, LK Today, This Morning and Des And Mel.

Chris said: "I'm having the time of my life. I'm spending about half my time in London and half at home in Lancing. I've been trying to catch up with friends and family when I can."

Chris, who lives with his parents in Lancing Close, admitted most of his fan mail was from women sending him small teddy bears.

He said: "I've got quite a collection of cuddly toys."

As for the future, Chris would be happy to be the next Will Young.

He said: "We'll be released from the contracts with Pop Idol in March then we'll hopefully find out if there are any contract offers.

"I've had lots of letters from fans telling me to keep going and giving me support, which is fantastic."

Chris, who used to work at the Lancing branch of Woolworths, also gave his opinion on the final three Pop Idol contestants.

He said: "I haven't got a clue who's likely to win. A lot of people think it will be Sam and others think Michelle. But Mark is a bit of a dark horse and I wouldn't rule him out either.

"They're all fantastic and absolutely hilarious. We used to make each other laugh all the time."

And here are Chris's verdicts on the final three Pop Idol contestants ...

Michelle McManus: "She was always making us laugh. She has got a fantastic voice, is very sure of herself and is probably the most ambitious. Like me, there are issues about if she is Pop Idol material but she hasn't worried about changing. She has just done it for herself."

Sam Nixon: "Sam is perfect. All the younger girls love him. "He's great. He has a good sense of humour and he and Mark really bounce off each other. A lot of people would put money on him winning the competition."

Mark Rhodes: "I've always said Mark is the dark horse and I don't think anyone should rule him out of the competition. He's a very genuine person. He already has an obsessed fan who waits outside the studios and throws herself in front of the car."