Russia’s most famous socialite and TV presenter Ksenya Sobchak, has abruptly decided to join Vladimir Putin's roaster of celebrity supporters, creating an online sensation.

The move came as a surprise, since Ksenya’s talk-show “Gosdep” was cancelled because of a planned appearance by opposition leader Alexei Navalny.

As a child, Ms Sobchak had a warm relationship with Putin since he worked for her father, then the mayor of St Petersburg. But in recent years, Russia's “Paris Hilton” has joined the ranks of the opposition.

So why the sudden change of heart? Why in the endorsement video is Ksenya so pale and disheveled? Why is she hesitating and nervous in the film that is creating such a buzz online?... In just 48 hours the video has gone viral and had over 500,000 hits (and counting). Read the tranlation under the clip:

1st scene:

Ksenya: “I decided to vote for this candidate because the economy has improved in recent years… Our lives are better… This man is very attentive to any demands and I think he will be able to help all of us. Especially now, facing the Orange Revolution, the Syrian and Libyan scenarios… We should not rock the boat and we should all unite behind ONE leader. This is why I took this difficult decision”.

2nd scene: A tough guy enters the room causing Ksenya to cringe back in fright and states: "Right, now let's bring in Venediktov", referring to the independent Ekho Moskvy radio's Editor in Chief, Alexander Venediktov.

The video, heavy with black humour, is obviously mocking the series of polished PR videos released by Putin's campaign team featuring Russian celebrities declaring their support.