'Hello, this is Cindy from Baywatch calling. Please press # to tie the knot'

For those seeking a memorable way to propose marriage in the United States, help is at hand. For less than $20 (£11.30), a celebrity will call the intended personally to pop the question.

For those seeking a memorable way to propose marriage in the United States, help is at hand. For less than $20 (£11.30), a celebrity will call the intended personally to pop the question.

Hollywoodiscalling.com, a website fast developing a cult following, can supply a famous person to deliver messages by phone, from a "romance special", to congratulating someone for being employee of the month.

Some of those listed in the directory of the Los Angeles company may have been resting for some time, but others are likely to touch the recipients of the phone calls with a little sprinkle of stardust. They include Ken Kercheval, the actor who played Cliff Barnes, the oil baron who was always thwarted by J R Ewing in Dallas , and Erin Gray from Buck Rogers and the 25th Century .

Also available is Cindy Margolis from Baywatch , who, the website notes, is the most down-loaded woman. From the world of sporting heroes, Larry "Easton Assassin" Holmes, the heavyweight champion who defeated Muhammad Ali, is also available to deliver a happy Mother's Day or "I miss you" message. Hollywood is Calling is enjoying rave reviews in the US media, and demand has soared, with customers rushing to pay famous figures from the past for a personal message to someone they know.

The website, which also allows customers to pay for a celebrity to ask someone out on a date, or to wish a recipient a happy Christmas, promises it will enhance customers' lives "with the kind of magic, motivation and fun that can be created when a real celebrity calls you".

The celebrity, the website says, will try several times to get through and will speak for up to 30 seconds. Customers can opt for a standard message from the site, or they can write their own script for $10 more.

The website says its celebrities are "not motivated by financial reasons", adding: "Their extraordinary achievements have made them tremendously popular all across the globe and they believe our patented new service is a great way for them to stay in touch with their growing fan base. It's also a lot of fun."