A comedian, who calls himself ‘Welsh Jesus’ on stage has been taken off the roster of a comedy night hosted at a church.

Gareth Hunt says his act was banned from Heolgerrig Social Club, in his home town of Merthyr, as the church which hosts it was displeased with his Jesus impersonation.

He told Nation Cymru that he offered to lose the robe and wig, and perform as himself, but the offer was rejected.

“It’s a shame really that the people who have stopped the gig from going ahead haven’t even seen the show before so I don’t know how they can disapprove of something they haven’t seen,” he said. “It’s very strange.”

Hunt claims he was told: “the man who runs the club is part of the church and I was told to cancel all the acts.”

He said he was “sorry” to have let the other performers down.

Nation Changers church, who meet at a building adjacent to the comedy club and own the building it meets in, claim they have “no influence or veto on what events they put on or acts they book”. They say they have no further comment on the cancellations.