John Oliver committed himself to always holding Donald Trump to account on his HBO show as soon as the reality TV star stepped forward as a prospective future President of the United States.

What few will know is that he was also among a chorus of voices encouraging him to run, albeit not because of how their political beliefs align.

Throughout a stormy election campaign characterised by its ugliness and its controversies, Oliver has delivered repeated warnings about voting for a man who has suggested the election is being rigged, has promised to use tax payer money to build a huge wall, has suggested Syrian refugees could be a fifth column sent by Isis and has been accused of sexual assault or harassment by various women, all of which he has denied.

Donald Trump's most controversial quotes Show all 14 1 /14 Donald Trump's most controversial quotes Donald Trump's most controversial quotes On Isis: "Some of the candidates, they went in and didn’t know the air conditioner didn’t work and sweated like dogs, and they didn’t know the room was too big because they didn’t have anybody there. How are they going to beat ISIS?" Getty Donald Trump's most controversial quotes On immigration: "I will build a great wall — and nobody builds walls better than me, believe me —and I’ll build them very inexpensively. I will build a great, great wall on our southern border, and I will make Mexico pay for that wall. Mark my words." Reuters Donald Trump's most controversial quotes On Free Trade: "Free trade is terrible. Free trade can be wonderful if you have smart people. But we have stupid people." PAUL J. RICHARDS | AFP | Getty Images Donald Trump's most controversial quotes On Mexicans: "When Mexico sends its people, they’re not sending their best. They’re sending people that have lots of problems. They’re bringing drugs. They’re bringing crime. They’re rapists." Getty Donald Trump's most controversial quotes On China: "I just sold an apartment for $15 million to somebody from China. Am I supposed to dislike them?... I love China. The biggest bank in the world is from China. You know where their United States headquarters is located? In this building, in Trump Tower." Getty Images Donald Trump's most controversial quotes On work: "If you're interested in 'balancing' work and pleasure, stop trying to balance them. Instead make your work more pleasurable." AP Donald Trump's most controversial quotes On success: "What separates the winners from the losers is how a person reacts to each new twist of fate." Donald Trump's most controversial quotes On life: "Everything in life is luck." AFP Donald Trump's most controversial quotes On ambition: "You have to think anyway, so why not think big?" Getty Images Donald Trump's most controversial quotes On his opponents: "Bush is totally in favour of Common Core. I don't see how he can possibly get the nomination. He's weak on immigration. He's in favour of Common Core. How the hell can you vote for this guy? You just can't do it." Reuters Donald Trump's most controversial quotes On Obamacare: "You have to be hit by a tractor, literally, a tractor, to use it, because the deductibles are so high. It's virtually useless. And remember the $5 billion web site?... I have so many web sites, I have them all over the place. I hire people, they do a web site. It costs me $3." Getty Images Donald Trump's most controversial quotes On Barack Obama: "Obama is going to be out playing golf. He might be on one of my courses. I would invite him. I have the best courses in the world. I have one right next to the White House." PA Donald Trump's most controversial quotes On himself: "Love him or hate him, Trump is a man who is certain about what he wants and sets out to get it, no holds barred. Women find his power almost as much of a turn-on as his money." Getty Images Donald Trump's most controversial quotes On America: "The American Dream is dead. But if I get elected president I will bring it back bigger and better and stronger than ever before and we will make America great again." GETTY

On Sunday, the British Last Week Tonight host used his satirical news show to deliver one final message to the US electorate before they choose their next President on 8 November and bring an end to “this nightmare of a campaign”.

“This election hasn’t so much appealed to our better angels as it has groped our better angels, mocked their weight, and called them ‘sixes at best'," said Oliver. "We are at a point where this man has a genuine shot at the presidency despite having blown up a political party, undermined confidence in our electoral system, declares open season on journalists, and unleashed a river of racism and misogyny. Also, and I feel like we’ve lost sight of this: He has really stupid hair.”

Then Oliver, who once compared Mr Trump to America’s back mole ("It may have seemed harmless a year ago, but now that it's gotten frighteningly bigger, it is no longer wise to ignore it”) had a confession to make. He took the audience back to his guest slot on The Daily Show three years ago, where he made a plea to Mr Trump which has come back to haunt him: to run for President. “Do it. Do it. Look at me. Do it. I will personally write you a campaign check now on behalf of this country which does not want you to be President but which badly wants you to run.”

“I’m an idiot,” admitted Oliver. “But that clearly shows no outcome is certain, so if you are thinking you don’t have to show up to vote on Tuesday because there is no way the impossible could happen, take it from somebody who has learned from painful experience: You are wrong about that.”