This happened at the back end of last year, but escaped my radar, so sorry if you already knew about this. It’s a shocker. I thought it was originally a mistranslated satirical Poe, because it is that bizarre as to warrant disbelief.

The Independent reported:

Judges on a South American version of Britain’s Got Talent have been criticised after castigating a contestant who told them she did not believe in God.

Carolina Peña, a contestant on Ecuador’s Got Talent, was asked after her audition if she believed in God.

Fellow adjudicator Paolo Farias, who began her career as a model, joined the discussion by asking the teenager: “Why don’t you believe in God? I’m curious.”

Miss Peña said she had no reason to, to which Ms Farias replied: “Then where do we come from?”

A third judge, the singer Wendy Vera, told Miss Peña: “I believe that you are 16 years old and I think that you have had a pretty good life so far, but there will come a time when you will suffer and the only thing that will help you get through is the amazing love of God.”

Miss Peña’s father, who watched his daughter’s audition backstage, also said he hoped the teenager would change her beliefs.