Comedian John Oliver has urged French voters to reject far-right candidate Marine Le Pen in the country’s upcoming presidential election, comparing the anti-immigration, Eurosceptic leader to US President Donald Trump.

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The host of US television show “Last Week Tonight” waded into French politics on Sunday night, exactly one week before voters head to the polls to pick their next president.

Noting that low turnout could help propel Le Pen to France’s highest office, Oliver urged French citizens to vote in the first-round ballot on April 23.

Opinion polls have consistently placed Le Pen as one of the election frontrunners, a scenario the comedian compared to Britain’s divisive decision to leave the EU and Trump’s victory in the US last year.

He drew more direct parallels between Le Pen and Trump, saying they were both “potentially destabilising populists[s], campaigning on anti-immigrant rhetoric, who rage against the elites despite having a powerful father and inherited wealth".

“We made populist, nativist choices with Brexit and Trump, and to be honest it’s not working out so great for us so far… Help us France – you’re our only hope,” the comedian quipped, making his appeal to French voters in their own language.

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