Now this is what you call viral marketing!

After British singer Cheryl Cole performed her latest single on the UK talent show X-Factor last week, retailers were instantly swamped with orders for Cheryl’s wicked strappy thigh-highs.

The object of this sudden obsession is Wolford’s Bondage tights which are, to be honest, much racier when viewed from a distance. Still, the tights are now the hottest undergarment in the UK — and almost impossible to find.

High-end retailer Selfridges sold out the next day, while online retailer Tights Please reported sales were “out of control”, with its website seeing a surge of more than 3,000 additional visitors a day since the X-Factor show.

Better news if you live in the U.S., though. We found the Bondage tights still available, at $65 a pair, at Saks.com.

You can also still order them from the U.S. version of Wolford’s website or by calling Wolford directly at 1-800-488-3103. There’s also a matching bodysuit available for $335.

Act fast before they someone scoops them all up and starts selling them off the back of a wagon on High Street!

Here’s a photo of Cheryl Cole during her headline-making performance on X-Factor (where she’s also a judge, keeping company with Simon You-Know-Who!).