Ananova:

Sex-change cleric Dian Parry has told how she turned down the chance of becoming a transatlantic celebrity with a permanent spot on the Jerry Springer show.

The 62-year-old Port Talbot church minister shocked his congregation two years ago by announcing he intended to live his life as a woman.

Since then she has made numerous TV appearances on programmes like Kilroy and has ambitions of becoming a chat show host herself.

Now she has revealed she was courted last year by Jerry Springer but turned down the chance of becoming the show's resident cleric on religious grounds.

"He contacted me to ask whether I would give a blessing to a couple who had been refused a church wedding because they wanted to dress in leather," said Ms Parry.

"It was while he was doing a series of shows in Britain last year and I went to London and did as I was asked but it was never actually broadcast.

"Later on he called me and asked whether I would join the programme and give him and the show a regular blessing.

"He said that if I joined it would entail my going to America on a regular basis and he would also want me to give an on-air blessing calling for high ratings.

"That I would not do and I turned him down. I told him that it went contrary to my conscience. I also felt that it was almost as if he was calling on God to ensure the series was a success.

"But the show also had a clairvoyant and a spiritualist which was not something I liked anyway," she added.