The job as a London-based correspondent for NBC's Today show would see the Duchess interviewing celebrities along with features on social issues - but would not involve royal reports.

It is believed a contract was offered to her after bosses at the network saw, Sarah, Surviving Life - the Duchess's Sky One chat show - which was axed earlier this year after a panning by British TV critics.

One called the first of her 10 one-hour programmes "the most embarrassing 60 minutes in chat show history".

The Duchess is already a well known face on US TV. She has a £1 million-a-year contract as the public face of slimming company Weight Watchers and earlier this year accepted a similar agreement to promote Wedgwood china in America.

She also recently appeared on the Today show to publicise her book, Dieting with the Duchess.

A spokeswoman for the Duchess said: "Things are at a very early stage - a preliminary approach has been made by NBC but it has not gone any further than that.

"This is just one of any number of options open to the Duchess at any one time. There are no negotiations at the present time."

Sources at NBC were quoted as saying that a deal to sign the Duchess was "80 to 85%" complete - a claim strongly denied by her London office.

An NBC insider told the New York Post: "Talks are still going on with an understanding that a deal will be done. It's 80 to 85% there."

Fergie's Vicar of Dibley co-star Johnny Depp

The Duchess has become a seasoned TV performer. Last March she appeared in a one-off episode of The Vicar of Dibley for Comic Relief's Red Nose Day alongside Hollywood star Johnny Depp.

She also has made a cameo appearance alongside Matt Le Blanc in the hit US sitcom Friends, and opened her home to the cameras for chat show hostess Ruby Wax.