Defrocked Irish priest fools Simon Cowell TV show

Defrocked Irish priest Neil Horan is back in the headlines today after fooling the judges of "Britain's Got Talent."

Producers at the hit TV show - which shot Susan Boyle to fame - failed to spot that the "unemployed Irish man" who stormed the show on Saturday was actually a former priest who was arrested after disrupting the Olympic marathon in Athens in 2004.

Horan, from Scartaglen, Co Kerry, grabbed the Brazilian runner Vanderlei de Lima during the closing stages of the race costing the athlete the gold medal.

Horan had actually been jailed the previous year for running onto the track at the British Grand Prix at Silverstone waving a banner bearing the words "Read the Bible."

However, producers failed to put two and two together - even though Horan always wears the same outfit and he was accepted on to the show.

He was voted through to the contest's next round after the audience gave him a standing ovation Saturday.

American Idol judge Simon Cowell was the only one of the three to dimiss Horan, saying he had only managed to dance round in a circle.

Horan said: 'I did tell producers after the show I was always looking for opportunities to spread my religious opinions about the kingdom of God and the imminent second coming. 'My audition was not about religion. I was simply delighted to perform.'

Horan claimed that the producers wanted him to jump into British starlet Amanda Holden's lap.

He said, "I didn't do anything as I was proud to represent Ireland and show off my folk dancing."