​The 57 year old Rudd, who has been head of the Asia Society's Policy Institute in New York since last October, will fill in for the eponymous host on Amanpour while the regular anchor is on leave.

He'll do just one episode, Saturday August 29 and, according to CNN, will look forward to the COP 21 Climate Change Conference in Paris in November.

On the show Rudd will interview prominent Costa Rican climate change negotiator Christiana Figueres and will also talk with indigenous TV anchor Stan Grant "about the struggles Australia is still having coming to terms with its past", according to a CNN statement.

Rudd tweeted that he also would be interviewing a guest about the "Chinese economy". Rudd's Amanpour screens on CNN at 1pm on Saturday and will be repeated at 8pm and midnight on August 29.

He has previously been a commentator on the program which is hosted by one of television's most respected journalists.

Amanpour's other temporary hosts this week include human rights campaigner Trevor Phillips, historian Simon Schama, political journalist Andrew Neil and British paralympian Tanni Grey-Thompson.

I'm one of several guest presenters filling in while @camanpour on leave. At this stage interviews on Chinese economy & #climatechange K— Kevin Rudd (@MrKRudd) August 25, 2015

KRudd gets a job doing interviews on TV. Is he interviewing himself as usual? http://t.co/SCB7ZjBfn5— Jam Honey (@FriskyLibrarian) August 25, 2015