Paris, 25, whose image was used – alongside Britney Spears’ and Barack Obama’s – to denote the epitome of airheaded celebrities in McCain’s promotional video, has responded by releasing her own mock political advertisement casting the Republican hopeful “as the oldest celebrity in the world”.

“Hey, America, I am Paris Hilton and I am a celebrity, too,” she purrs, dressed in an over-the-top, skimpy leopard-print swimsuit in a video posed on celebrity website TMZ. “Only I am not from the olden days and I am not promising change like that other guy. I am just hot.”

While McCain’s aides were yesterday taking it all in good jest, the Obama campaign declined to comment, other
than to note it had no role in her advertisement.