Los Angeles  - US president Barack Obama will appear on comedian Jay Leno's Tonight show on Thursday, the show's producers said Monday.

The appearance of Obama on one of the most popular shows on television comes as he is trying to muster support for his plans to revive the US economy and reform the health and education systems.

Though presidential candidates often use late-night television shows to reach the public, this will be the first time a sitting president has come on the Tonight show, said US network NBC in announcing the appearance. (dpa)