The Project: Reuben Kaye made a joke about Jesus on stage five years ago

The comedian who shocked viewers with a lewd joke about Jesus on The Project earlier this week made the same off-color joke on stage five years ago.

While the Channel 10 news show’s hosts apologized for the joke, saying live TV can be “hit or miss”, it seems the line has been a staple of Reuben Kaye performances for years.

Footage has resurfaced on YouTube of Kaye throwing out a line on stage at the Adelaide Fringe Festival in 2017.

This recording appears to conflict with the excuse given by The Project hosts that they “didn’t expect a comment like that to be made” on air..

The video begins Kaye dressed as a woman, describing her outfit as a “big beautiful clitoris that I will never biologically possess.”

Kaye continues to make the Jesus joke about 45 seconds into the video, drawing laughter and applause from the audience.

The Project came under fire after Kaye joked on Tuesday’s show that she admired Jesus Christ because “I love any man who can get fucked three days straight and come back for more.”

Co-host Sarah Harris laughed at the joke, which aired uncensored during the live broadcast, but fellow Muslim Waleed Aly seemed surprised.

The backlash from Muslims and Christians was swift and brutal, forcing the two presenters to issue a humiliating apology on air on Wednesday.

This recording appears to conflict with the excuse given by The Project hosts that they “didn’t expect a comment like that to be made” on air.

Addressing the inappropriate joke, Aly began: “During an interview last night, our guest told a joke that we know was deeply and unnecessarily offensive to many of you.

‘We want to acknowledge the particular offense it caused our Muslim viewers but especially our Christian viewers.

“Obviously I understand how deep that offense ran.”

Harris, who laughed after the joke, joined in.

Co-host Waleed Aly (left) acknowledged the offensiveness of the joke in an on-air apology Wednesday. Sarah (right), who laughed at the gag, went on to say that “live TV is hit or miss.”

Harris (left, with Kate Langbroek) put her hand over her mouth to stifle laughter.

“Live TV is unpredictable and when this happened in the last moments of last night’s show, it took us all by surprise, there wasn’t a lot of time to react in a considered way,” he said.

Aly insisted that she caught the show’s producers and panel by surprise.

“It’s fair to say that we didn’t expect a comment like that to be made,” he said.

‘We wouldn’t normally broadcast a comment like that. We recognize the offense you caused and more than that we are sorry.

Posts from the show on social media are being spammed with the hashtags #CancelTheProject and #BoycottTheProject in what appears to be an organized effort.

The prank was met with a huge reaction on social media.

‘What a disgusting joke about Jesus, and The Project team just laughed and said nothing. So offended by your inaction,” wrote one viewer.

Posts from the show on social media are being spammed with the hashtags #CancelTheProject and #BoycottTheProject in what appears to be an organized effort.

Another said: ‘Actually, a dirty joke about Jesus. I’m all for being who you want to be, but that’s too far.

A third said: ‘It’s interesting to see Waleed’s reaction to that joke! He knew that he was inappropriate! The project is so desperate these days!

But others thought the lewd gag was hilarious.

One person said: ‘I can’t believe Rueben Kaye said that on national TV in prime time. What an icon!

Other positive comments included: ‘I almost peed myself’ and ‘That was gold, the best thing on The Project in months!’

Kaye (left, with Sam Taunton in The Project) did not apologize for the joke.