Celebrity waxworks

23 July 2008 12:21pm

In some cheesy way it's a sign a star has arrived - that day when Madame Tussauds announces they're to be immortalised as a waxwork.

But of course, it's a double-edged sword.

For a while, it's all happy, well-publicised unveilings and exciting trips to see the waxy double.

Then comes the downside to being mocked up in something that melts - Tussauds bosses have the power to reduce a figure to an unrecognisable heap of wax at the first sign of straight-to-video activity.

As Amy Winehouse's statue is finally unveiled at the tourist attraction, we take a look at some of the more interesting famous figures and their plight as waxworks.

:: Shiloh Jolie-Pitt

Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt's baby girl was immortalised just eight weeks after she was born.

The model of little Shiloh - which is said to have "mum's signature pouty lips" - was unveiled at Madame Tussauds in New York, making her the youngest person to be represented at the US attraction.

It shows the baby sleeping in a cot while wax dummies of her famous mum and dad stand beside her.

Tourists who want to have their picture taken with the A-list family can do so for one dollar - half of which goes to children's charity Unicef.

:: Bradley Walsh

The Coronation Street star posed for Louis Tussauds in Blackpool, but according to The Sun it looked so "hideous" the face had to be re-done twice.

When the re-modelling failed it was decided the head would be melted down.

"He offered to do another sitting but they said no. Each waxwork cost £6,000. It was out of control," a source told the paper.

:: Geri Halliwell

The former Ginger Spice must have known her star was falling when she heard her waxwork was to be melted down.

The singer was apparently upset when she heard the dummy was on its way, and wanted to re-home it before it was destroyed.

"When it was made, Geri agreed that she would have first option to buy herself back rather than be melted down," a source was quoted by the Chartsingles.net website as saying.

:: Elton John

The pop legend was certainly one of the sweetest dummies - his statue was made entirely out of chocolate.

Tussauds created a lifesize chocolate Sir Elton out of countless bars of Cadbury's Dairy Milk.

Elton was immortalised after being voted Britain's best-loved personality.

The museum then put in more than 1,000 hours creating the model in chocolate, to mark Cadbury's Centenary.

:: Brad Pitt

Brad Pitt's waxwork comes complete with a squeezable bottom and a strokeable silicone chest - now that's got to be worth the trip.

Visitors were given the chance to pat the Babel star's butt and run their fingers over his chest - making the dummy one of the most popular on show.

However, we're not sure whether Brad would have been pleased to be mauled by so many girls - the BBC reported the film star hadn't posed for the figure or given his permission.

"I'm not sure how Brad feels about it," said a Tussauds spokeswoman.

© The Press Association