Astley 'Rickrolls' Thanksgiving crowd

Rick Astley made a special appearance at a Thanksgiving Parade in New York City on Thursday.

Astley stood on the Cartoon Network's float and mimed the words to his 1987 hit 'Never Gonna Give You Up' to surprised revellers gathered along the route.

The stunt has been described as the ultimate in Rickrolling, with one Digg website user commenting: "The fact that Rick Astley himself actually showed up makes this pretty much the most awesome thing ever."

The singer has become a cult icon in recent months. He won the Best Act Ever prize at last month's MTV Europe Music Awards, although he previously dismissed his nomination as "a wind-up".