Some doubt Mr Clinton would undergo the rigours of a daily talk show

NBC declined to comment and Mr Clinton's spokeswoman, Julia Payne, would only say that he had talked to various people in recent months to discuss different projects.

Ms Payne issued a statement which read: "President Clinton did not demand a talk show.

"He went to listen. The president is gratified by the range of opportunities that have been presented to him."

Though Mr Clinton clearly enjoyed interacting with crowds during his two-term presidency, commentators have raised questions about whether a talk show would suit him.

Conflict of interest

The often-salacious content of the genre could hurt attempts by the Clinton team to highlight the achievements rather than the scandals of his presidency.

A TV show might also conflict with Hillary Clinton's career as a US Senator and sources said it would be unlikely that Mr Clinton would commit to the usual schedule of daily recordings over 39 weeks of the year.

The 55-year-old former president left the White House saddled with debt, but has been making $125,000 to $300,000 for each speech he gives on top of a $12 million book deal.

Mr Clinton's relatively young age at leaving the White House - compared with former presidents Ronald Reagan and George Bush who left the presidency respectively at nearly 78 and 68 - led to much debate and speculation about what he would do next.