Kristen Bell announced as star of new Jesus podcast hosted by Fox News but there's one huge issue

Kristen Bell is set to appear in a new star-studded Fox News podcast series about the Bible that is scheduled to start in just over a week. However, there is one major problem for the Hollywood star - nobody told her she was even in it.

The 45-year-old Good Place star claims to have found out that she was playing a leading role in the upcoming Life of Jesus Christ Podcast as Fox publicly announced the serialised show's first episode for November 30.

Coming in 52 instalments, the religious podcast claims to feature 'over 100 notable actors voicing characters of the Bible', including Succession's Brian Cox as the voice of God, Bell as Mary Magdalene, and Band of Brothers' Neal McDonough as Jesus.

Yet, many of these Hollywood actors have now come out publicly to say they had no idea they were starring in the series, which uses their voices to bring 'stories from the New Testament to life through immersive storytelling', for the new 'Fox Faith' vertical.

'Succession' actor Brian Cox has previously called Fox 'the devil' (Stefania D'Alessandro/Getty Images)

Representatives of Bell and Cox have issued statements to say they were completely unaware of the Fox series and had never been asked to star in it.

For Cox, the news was likely difficult to hear, having previously called the Murdoch-owned network 'the devil'.

The stars' representatives also revealed that the voice lines used in it had been recorded more than a decade ago for a different project, a 23-hour dramatic retelling of the New Testament.

But the company that these lines had been recorded for has since been bought out and its intellectual property licensed, leading Fox to take many of the voice lines and repurpose them into its new 52-episode show.

Bell said she discovered her latest acting credit just the day before the show's announcement, after her agent received a request for her to appear on Fox & Friends to talk about the podcast she did not even know she was in.

Her agents told Rolling Stone that she did not give any permission for her lines to be reused.

Neal McDonough plays Jesus Christ in the 'new' show (Corbis via Getty Images)

Similarly, Cox's agents said the 79-year-old was not informed about the use of his voice, stating: “Brian recorded audio for a project over a decade ago.

“He was unaware that the audio would be repurposed for a new podcast series in 2025. Brian only became aware of the podcast today.”

Actors Malcolm McDowell and John Rhys-Davies have also said they were not made aware that their voice lines were to be repurposed for the new show, hosted by Fox & Friends host Ainsley Earhardt, who introduces each episode.

A Fox News spokesperson said that 'Gulfstream Studios produced The Life of Jesus Podcast from The Truth and Life Dramatized Audio Bible, which was licensed by Fox News Audio, with full cooperation and participation by all the actors involved'.