The Australian prime minister Julia Gillard has weighed in to the debate about whether the world will end on December 21 under the Mayan calendar - in a spoof video about Korean pop and flesh-eating zombies.
In a one-minute address recorded for the youth radio station Triple J on Thursday, a sombre-looking Gillard said the apocalypse was at hand despite there being no proof found by the "best and brightest" government scientists.
"My dear remaining fellow Australians, the end of the world is coming," she said. "Whether the final blow comes from flesh-eating zombies, demonic hell-beasts or from the total triumph of K-Pop, if you know one thing about me it is this: I will always fight for you to the very end."
The prime minister said there was a bright side to Armageddon. "At least this means I won't have to do Q&A again," she said, referring to a current-affairs talk show.
Gillard recorded the message for a special "end of the world" programme broadcast on Triple J on Friday. The video went viral on social media.
Triple J's host Tom Ballard admitted he had been surprised when Gillard agreed to take part "but I'm grateful because everyone needs to be warned".
It is not the first time Gillard has enjoyed internet fame - footage from October of a fiery speech in parliament in which she accused her opponent of misogyny has been viewed more than two million times. - AFP
