Brits don’t want Donald Trump to win but they would like Tom Hanks as president

Tom Hanks would be dubbed “Forrest Trump” if he ever ran for the US presidency, but legions of Britons would like to see him in the White House.

When asked which celebrity they would like to see in the Oval Office, the star of Saving Private Ryan, Forrest Gump and Philadelphia was the choice of 36 per cent of Brits.

The YouGov polling for Betfair found Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson was the second most popular choice (22 per cent), followed by talk show legend Oprah Winfrey (21 per cent) and controversial tech billionaire (17 per cent).

When brought back to reality and asked to choose between the two real life candidates – Republican and Democrat Kamala Harris – it is clear the Vice President would win by a landslide if it was up to UK voters.

Six out of 10 would back Ms Harris, with only 22 per cent opting for Mr Trump.

However, younger Brits are more likely to look favourably on the Republican.

Nearly one in three (32 per cent) 18 to 24 year-olds said they would vote for him.

This is up from 11 per cent at the last election.

Mr Trump also enjoyed strong support among Reform UK voters, with six out of 10 wanting him to win. Party leader enjoys a well-known friendship with the property mogul turned politician.

Betfair spokesperson Sam Rosbottom said: “Several US celebs have made a successful transition to politics. Trump himself fronted The Apprentice on TV over there, plus there was Ronald Reagan and Arnold Schwarzenegger.

“So, we thought it would be fun to discover which stars the British people think would do a good job in the White House.

“It’s not surprising that a well-loved actor such as Hanks, famed for playing likable but strong characters on screen, tops the poll.”

Despite Britons taking a widespread interest in US politics, there is little appetite for the UK becoming the 51st state. Just 10 per cent supported this idea.

When asked whether they would rather be part of the or the US, just nine per cent opted to join the American superpower with 57 per cent wanting to be part of the EU.