Obama Is No Satan! TV Series Denies Likeness

The History Channel has rejected claims that the actor playing Satan in its new Bible miniseries closely resembles Barack Obama.

Right-wing commentator and radio-host Glenn Beck was among those who first made the connection via Twitter.

"Anyone else think the Devil in #TheBible Sunday on History Channel looks exactly like That Guy?" he tweeted.

Many agreed but producers Roma Downey and Mark Burnett did not share the joke, slamming the claims as "absolute nonsense".

"The actor who played Satan, Mehdi Ouazanni, is a highly acclaimed Moroccan actor," they said. 

"He has previously played parts in several Biblical epics - including Satanic characters - long before Barack Obama was elected as our president."

The 10-hour series has been airing throughout March with the finale scheduled for Easter Sunday and has so far pulled in strong ratings.

But the appearance of the Satan character in the latest episode brought unwelcome attention for the network.

"History Channel has the highest respect for President Obama," the History Channel said in a statement.

"It's unfortunate that anyone made this false connection."

Media requests for comment from the White House went unanswered.

The incident echoes the outrage last year when HBO apologised for featuring a replica of former President George W. Bush's severed head impaled on a spike in its hit series Game of Thrones.