Jesus role shock on new Lloyd Webber show

Jesus role shock on new Lloyd Webber show

NEW ITV talent search show Superstar may raise a few eyebrows when a singer from a Muslim family is shortlisted for the role of Jesus Christ.

Aznan Iftikhar, from North Shields, Tyne and Wear, has made the cut and will appear on tomorrow’s first episode of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s latest TV search for a musical star.

While not a practising Muslim, Aznan was brought up by his Muslim parents in Pakistan before moving to Britain when he was nine.

A show source said: “It might seem odd to some people â€" perhaps even controversial â€" to be considering someone like Aznan for the role of Jesus but it is open to anyone.

“Aznan’s main passion is music. He’s one to watch.”

While Jesus is the central figure of Christianity, he does feature in Islam’s holy book, The Koran. However, Muslims do not believe he was the son of God or that he was crucified.