As the cultural commentator Brian McNair said when he heard the news:

"What a turnaround."

There was a time when Craig Ferguson, in the words of Mr McNair, couldn't get arrested in Glasgow - and his original stage name Bing Hitler probably did not help in that respect.

But that was more than 20 years ago and since then, Ferguson, who was born in Glasgow and raised in Cumbernauld, has established a reputation as a witty, surprising talk show host in America.

Now it appears he is the most likely successor to David Letterman, who announced last week he was planning to retire from The Late Show - and it is another piece of good news for Scottish exports of acting and comedy that have included Ashley Jensen, Alan Cumming and most famously Billy Connolly.

Perhaps the Scottish sense of humour just goes down well in America; maybe a childhood in Scotland prepares comedians for the tough world of US showbusiness.

Whatever the reason, it looks like the Letterman seat could go to Ferguson. Not bad for what one producer called the "foreign guy with a heavy accent".