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The smoothie company, which uses marketing to push health messages, will use social media to update the public on Horne’s progress. The drinks company, in which Coca-Cola has a majority share, has launched a following the comedian, which carries Innocent branding.

His progress can be tracked daily on twitter, weekly on his blog and monthly via YouTube videos posted on the website. Horne is currently ranked 3,091,676,670 (at time of publication).

Innocent will also provide Horne with smoothies and veg pots to assert its health messages, as well as offering a prize of £1m for the first person to reach 150 years.

Alex Horne, an award-winning comic, co-created BBC Four’s comedy quiz show 'We Need Answers', alongside Tim Key and Mark Watson. Other recent credits include 'The Percy Edwards Showdown' (BBC Radio 4), 'The Verb' (BBC Radio 4) and 'Loose Ends' (BBC Radio 4).

Dan Germain, head of creative at Innocent, said: "Alex’s stand-up show made us laugh a lot – especially the part about his mission to become the world’s oldest man. Working with him means that we can share loads of his funny DIY films as he goes about his quest, and give a generous £1m prize to the person who gets to 150 years old first. The smart money is on Alex."

In September, Innocent had an after receiving complaints that its suggestion that a glass of smoothie contained two portions of the recommended five-a-day was misleading.

Because of the Department of Health's guidance that under certain circumstances, smoothies could make up two portions of a person's five-a-day, Innocent is able to use the messages of health and wellbeing in its marketing.