Talk show host Stephen Colbert said he “hopes Jesus has a sense of humour” whilst discussing faith with British popstar Dua Lipa.

The singer turned the tables on The Late Show when she started interviewing Colbert.

When she asked the comedian about whether his stand-up career overlaps with his Catholic faith, he spoke openly and in detail about how the two relate to one another.

He said: “I think ultimately, us all being mortal, the faith will win out in the end, but I certainly hope that when I get to Heaven, Jesus has a sense of humour.

"I’m a Christian and a Catholic and that’s always connected to the idea of love and sacrifice being somehow related, and that death is not defeat."

He went on to discuss his favourite film of the year – Belfast – because of the Catholic connotations.

“One of the reasons that I love it is that I’m Irish – Irish American – and it’s such an Irish movie and I think this is also a Catholic thing because it’s funny and it’s sad, and it’s funny about being sad.

“Sadness is an emotional death but not a defeat if you can find a way to laugh about it. If you can laugh about it, it stops you having fear of it, and fear is the thing that keeps you from heading to evil devices.”  

He concluded: “So, if there’s some relationship between my faith and my comedy, it’s that no matter what happens you are not defeated. You must understand and see this in the light of eternity and find some way to love and laugh with each other.”