Some viewers outraged by raunchy gag

Australian comedian and cabaret star Reuben Kaye has sparked a storm down under with a joke about Jesus that has angered religious groups.

The queer comic appeared on primetime TV show The Project yesterday and spoke about the abuse he receives, especially from some Christians, for being gay.

He said: ‘I think it’s hilarious when someone messages me and says you have to accept Jesus’s love or you will burn in hell - because I love Jesus. I love any man who can get nailed for three days straight and come back for more!'

The comment caused outrage in some quarters, amplified by a tabloid press so offended by the gag they all repeated it to their millions of readers.

Muslim activist Steve Dabliz told the Daily Mail: ‘We, as an Australian Muslim community, strongly condemn the recent episode of the Australian TV show The Project that aired content that mocked the revered figure of Jesus. Such derogatory and offensive remarks have no place in a diverse and inclusive society like Australia.’

And Charlie Bakhos of a group called Christian Lives Matter - which repeatedly condemns gay people as ‘sinners’  – has demanded an apology,  posting online: ‘We have all had enough and this show last night crossed the line with the mocking of Our Lord Jesus Christ. Everyone needs to stand united and we need to put a stop to all this.’

Following the backlash, the programme’s presenters issued an apology.

Waleed Aly, who is Muslim, said: ‘We want to acknowledge the particular offence that caused our Muslim viewers but especially our Christian viewers. Obviously I understand just how profound that offence was.

'It's fair to say we weren't expecting a comment like that to be made. 'We wouldn't normally broadcast a comment like that. We acknowledge the offence it caused and more than that we're sorry.’

However - as you can see above – the joke remains on The Project’s YouTube channel.

Co-host Sarah Harris, who laughed at the joke when Kaye cracked it, added: ‘Live TV is unpredictable and when this happened in the last few moments of last night's show, it took us all by surprise, there wasn't a lot of time to react in any sort of considered way.

However, many fans praised Kaye – an Edinburgh Fringe regular –  as an ‘icon’ for telling such an outrageous joke on the Channel 10 show.

Published: 1 Mar 2023