Madonna has hired a lookalike of her daughter Lourdes to throw the paparazzi off-scent during her forthcoming MDNA world tour.

The "Hung Up" singer - who has also taken on five clones for herself - took the drastic step of getting a body double for her 15-year-old daughter following advice from Lourdes' father Carlos Leon.

"Carlos suggested hiring a Lourdes lookalike to take the pressure off the teenager," a source said.

The move has apparently worked wonders for Madonna's relationship with her first-born - who recently upset her famous mother when she was photographed smoking. "Things have been tense and difficult between Madge and Lourdes. Madge is tense and overworked in preparation for the biggest tour of her life, while Lourdes is establishing her independence and trying to make her own mark on the industry. But they have bonded over finding the perfect girl to pretend to be Lourdes. It's been a lot of fun. Lourdes thinks it's cool to have a doppelganger because it makes her feel important," the source told The Daily Star.

The tour kicks off on May 29 in Tel Aviv.