Bill Clinton has admitted “he wouldn't be surprised” if aliens visited Earth - he just hopes their appearance would not play out as violently as the invasion in the film Independence Day.

The former president of the United States found himself discussing the possibility of extraterrestrial life when he appeared on an episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live on Wednesday evening.

Clinton said that shortly after becoming president in 1993 he had the infamous Nevada military facility Area 51 investigated “to make sure there was no alien down there”.

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He also had papers concerning a reported UFO sighting in Roswell reviewed in time for the 50th anniversary, but did not find any signs of alien life.

Clinton even promised host Kimmel that if he had seen signs of extraterrestrial life, he would tell him.

“We know from our fancy telescopes that just in the last two years more than 20 planets have been identified outside our solar system that seem to be far enough from their suns and dense enough that they might be able to support to some form of life, so it makes it increasingly less like that we’re alone,” Clinton said.

“It may be the only way to unite this increasingly divided world of ours … think about all the differences among people of Earth would seem small if we feel threatened by a space invader,” he added.

“That’s the whole theory of Independence Day. Everybody gets together and makes nice.”