Developments in the ultimate reality show

The public outcry has been predictably muted following the eviction of Zoroaster from The Deity following weeks of speculation that the ancient Persian god had been out of the A-league for too long to remain competitive. Something of a wildcard from the beginning, Zara - as he'd become known on social media - was never really expected to make the final cut but will probably not disappear into oblivion quite yet as the chat shows and gossip mags will want to listen to his commandments for a few weeks at least.

Zara joins a list of gods that have made the walk of shame from Nirvana - the show's glamorous set at MovieWorld on the Gold Coast - and out of contention to be the god of the world.

The Aztec's were the first to go when Huitzilopochtli got only four nominations in the first round of public voting. Pundits speculated that this was mostly because his name was impossible to SMS or pronounce for the viewers that call the 1900 number.

Zuul went in controversial circumstances following accusations that she wasn't a real god at all but just something made up for the Ghostbusters movies. The producers were rumoured to be upset by the loss because a little 1980's sex appeal was a good thing for the ratings and did something to offset the oversupply of men in beards and robes.

 As for Venkmann, he didn't even make it past the auditions after forgetting the famous advice that "When someone asks you if you are a god, you say YES!"

Thor looks unlikely to continue much longer either. The Norse thunder god is just not competitive in the various styles of godding that are required of the contestants. He started strongly with a great audition calling down the wrath of the weather and striking fear and awe into the hearts of the peasants. He seemed to be likely to go far after he incinerated Simon Cowell for being excessively facetious and annoying.  Since then, though, Thor has struggled to demonstrate versatility, unable to change water into wine, cure lepers, or move mountains as required.

The favourites in the competition, Jesus and Mohammed, continue to perform strongly but there are whispers on social media that Mohammed's support is waning as people are reminded that he never claimed to be a god at all - merely the prophet of the god. This is the same god that Jesus and Yahweh - the leading Jewish contender following the loss of Baal in the early days of the contest - claim to be and questions are being asked as to whether the big M has the hubris to succeed under pressure.

Zeus is the surprise challenger. The old man turns out to have versatility that no-one expected. When asked to show diversity in the Manifestation round, Jesus only managed tongues of fire. Yahweh looked to have taken the round with a pillar of fire and the same of smoke but Zeus came out of left field and blitzed the public with a goose and a golden shower. Always trust experience.

We are all looking forward to October when one deity will be chosen as god of all the world and will then bring an end to religious disputes for all time - thanks to the power of reality television.