SINGAPORE - Singapore Idol fever swept the country on Saturday as thousands of wannabe pop stars defied the city-state's conservative reputation and made a bid for fame on the local version of the popular American television show.

Crowds hoping to follow in the footsteps of Fantasia Barrino, the latest winner of American Idol, flocked to the first round of auditions, which organizers extended into a third day because of fervent demand.

With fear all too apparent in her eyes, Jenny Leong, a 20-year-old student, said, "I just want to give it a try and see where my confidence is."

The popular competition - in which ordinary folks get a shot at singing stardom - has struck a chord among Singaporeans, who avidly follow foreign versions of the program.

"We knew there was talent out there, and we are very encouraged by the number of applicants who want to be the very first Singapore Idol," said Selena Ho, a vice-president at broadcaster MediaCorp TV.

Ho's staff waded through 3,000 preliminary auditions last weekend, and then decided to host an extra round on Saturday for hundreds more would-be entertainers.

The eventual winner of Singapore Idol will be awarded a recording contract with BMG, the music arm of German media group Bertelsmann.

Rule-bound Singapore has a reputation for lacking zest, and government ministers regularly lament Singaporeans for not taking risks or making an effort to stand out from the crowd.

But such assessments seemed way off the mark in the tense lines of hopefuls waiting to sing their hearts out.

Clutching her application form, Leong said she was not fazed by the prospect of having her vocal talents disparaged either by the judges or the public.

"There are positives and negatives," she said. "It just depends how you take it."