Video: P Diddy stars in Downton Abbey spoof

"Hello everyone, this is Sean Combs with some very exciting news about my favourite show of all time, Downtown Abbey. Yes, I am an Abbey Head."

And, despite not being able to get the name of the show correct, you heard that right. Sort of. The man they call P Diddy (né Puff Daddy) teased his Twitter followers with an announcement that he was going to guest star on the ITV hit.

It was taken so seriously that the show's US channel was forced to deny the story. What Diddy actually guest-starred in was a craftily edited spoof on the website Funny or Die. In it in a white tuxedoed (natch) Diddy – playing the self-proclaimed Lord Wolcott – stands in the background of some existing Downton scenes like a hip-hop Zelig, doing his best to interact with Hugh Bonneville et al, while making uncharacteristic bon mots, like "Mmm this fancy cake is divine. And do I detect a little nutmeg?"

So how did Funny or Die convince Diddy to do Downtown? It may well be something to do with the egregious plug for Cîroc vodka (brand ambassador, one S Combs) during a tête-à-tête with the Dowager Countess and Isobel Crawley ("why don't we stop this bickering and have a sip of some libation... now I want you to kiss. Use your tongues). Hmm.

Video: P Diddy causes confusion with Downton Abbey tweet