Astley calls 'Rickrolling' craze 'brilliant'

Rick Astley has revealed he thinks the "Rickrolling" internet craze is "brilliant".

The video for the '80s popstar's hit 'Never Gonna Give You Up' has registered more than 13 million YouTube views thanks to websites posting a link to the track disguised as something else.

One website ran the headline "Whitney Smoking Crack... Caught On Tape!!!!", which redirected readers to Astley's 1987 hit. A web comic managed to Rickroll readers by putting the piano score for the song into one of its strips.

In an interview with the LA Times, Astley said he didn't take any offence at the prank: "I think it's just one of those odd things where something gets picked up and people run with it. But that's what's brilliant about the internet."

Astley described his number one hit as a "great pop song" but admitted he would see it as "naff" if he was younger.

"It doesn't have any kind of weight behind it, as such. But maybe that's the irony of it. If I was a young kid now looking at that song, I'd have to say I'd think it was pretty naff, really."

Astley added: "I just think it’s bizarre and funny. My main consideration is that my daughter doesn’t get embarrassed about it."