President Donald Trump has agreed to a CNN town hall event next week as he steps up his bid to be re-elected next year.

The news is somewhat a surprise as the network has frequently been the subject of Trump's ire over the last few years, having regularly accused them of spreading "fake news".

Furthermore, the debate will be moderated by Kaitlan Collins, CNN's former Washington correspondent who has previously been singled out for criticism by Trump.

The town hall will take place in New Hampshire and will see the politician answer questions from Republican and undecided voters.

In a statement, the network said: "CNN has a longstanding tradition of hosting leading presidential candidates for Town Halls and political events as a critical component of the network's robust campaign coverage.

"This event with former President Trump will be the first of many for CNN in the coming months as CNN correspondents travel across the country to hear directly from voters in the runup to the 2024 presidential election."

CNN's live Town Hall with former President Donald Trump will air Wednesday, May 10 at 8pm ET and Thursday at 1am UK time.