A plucky Brit is now the first known tourist to snap a self-portrait with Rio de Janeiro’s Christ the Redeemer.

At 30 metres (98 feet) high ‘Cristo Redentor’ has loomed over Rio since 1931, but the octogenarian icon has now come face-to-face with the very modern selfie trend.

Photographer Lee Thompson received special permission to climb the statue after arriving in Brazil to cover the World Cup for his brand, The Flash Pack, before the photos went viral via its Twitter page.

"Looking at this selfie still makes my heart race and knees buckle,” said Thompson.

“As far as selfies go, I can’t compete with popes, presidents, and radical Russians, because as a photographer my job is to take the shots, not star in them. But when the opportunity arose to take the world’s first (and so far only) selfie with Jesus, I couldn’t resist,” he added.

Thompson was aided by two high-wire workmen armed with GoPro cameras and entered the structure through scaffolding before ascending 12 flights of the ‘rickety’ internal staircase.

It took Thompson 20 minutes to make the ascent through pressing heat and total darkness, before emerging through a small hatch on the statue’s shoulder.

“I grabbed the rope and pulled myself along the smooth soapstone up into the head of the statue where we carefully opened the hatch,” he explained. “My heart was pounding with excitement and I couldn’t wait another second.”

Describing the view, Thompson described being in ‘total and utter awe’ of the vast panorama below.

“To some, taking pictures of yourself is considered vain,” he said.

“But this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity taught me that the selfie is a powerful medium through which we can share our perspectives, inspirations and personal stories with the world at large. It’s not about funny mugshots with scenic backdrops or daredevil stunts. It’s a way to mark the moment and say, 'I was here'.”