People close to Mr Hilton said he is now focused on tackling California’s biggest problems, including the high cost of living and education, and a lack of affordable housing.

A future platform would likely involve embracing the tech sector – Mr Hilton having worked to win over Silicon Valley billionaires who have become disillusioned with the direction of the state.

“He is thinking very seriously about running for governor and he is doing it in a very organised way,” said Jim Brulte, a former California Republican Party chair and lead of the state Senate. “I know he’s talking to a lot of the right people because I have heard from a lot of the right people that he’s talking to them.

“He’s focused on policy and my sense is his campaign would be a policy-driven agenda. He’s a positive and optimistic guy.”

Mr Hilton, who is believed to have been the inspiration for the herbal tea-drinking spin doctor Stewart Pearson in the BBC sitcom The Thick of It, moved to the wealthy town of Atherton in California after leaving No 10.

He became a Fox News host in 2017, hosting “The Next Revolution” on Sunday nights until last year, and took US citizenship in 2021.