Holy David Beckham!

Ho hum. It's time for the Christmas season, and even the Nativity scene seems passe and predictable. At least, so decides the Madame Tussauds Wax Museum in London. According to a BBC report, the traditional nativity seen has gone the celebrity way, with David and Victoria Beckham taking over from Joseph and Mary.

The rest of the holy gathering is made up of the three wise men, Tony Blair, George Bush and the Duke of Edinburgh. The all-star shepherds in the tableau are actors Hugh Grant and Samuel L Jackson, and comedian Graham Norton.

The angel in the presentation is singer Kylie Minogue.

Predictably, church leaders in the UK are incensed with this ridiculous display. The Times reported a Vatican spokesman saying the display, bound to rein in the crowds, was 'in very poor taste.'

Most senior church officials reacted furiously to the tableau, with one calling it 'a Nativity stunt gone too far.'

The choice of the celebrities was made by 300 visitors voting at Madame Tussauds in October, the museum claims.

Photograph: Getty Images