d styled like anyone else would at a hairdresser's. By the way, all vital statistics are accurate and kept under lock and key by Madame Tussaud's. Despite repeated requests from the press, this information is never disclosed.
The characters who move and speak are modelled in clay first of all, like the normal portraits, but the head is made in silicon rubber which allows movement.
A spokesperson for Madame Tussaud's says men and women like different figures. The figure most photographed by men is Naomi Campbell, and the most photographed by women is Brad Pitt.
However, the attention from the public isn't always friendly - for instance, Hitler had to be put behind in the Chamber of Horrors because people couldn't stop abusing him. By the way, research by Madame Tussaud's has revealed that women are stronger than men. In a recent study they discovered that Chamber of Horrors is twice as popular among women as among men!
Developing Business
Ringing in the changes
Since it opened in 1835 Madame Tussauds has constantly worked to introduce new attractions over the years.
One of the most recent changes has seen the prominent displays of pop singers, TV stars and movie icons replacing the traditional royals, historical figures and politicians.
Customer needs
Customer feedback has dictated the recent changes as visitors no longer expressed an interest in seeing men in suits expecting to see instead current celebrities and wanting interactive exhibitions.
The royals haven't been replaced completely you can still see the Queen but instead of seeing her from behind a rope you can have a royal audience escorted by guardsmen.
The UK's top personality
7 Sir Elton John has been unveiled as the UK's favourite personality and cast in chocolate! A life size chocolate figure of Sir Elton has been made to celebrate Cadbury's Centenary. p> People had the chance to vote from a top ten list that consisted of:
• five TV personalities (Cat Deeley, Denise Van Outen, Jonathan Ross, Ricky Gervais and Sharon Osbourne)
• three sports personalities (David Beckham, Denise Lewis and Paula Radcliffe)
• two singers (Sir Elton John and Will Young)
The figure which weighs 126kgs can be viewed in Madame Tussaud's until Autumn in a special tent that stops it from melting.
Popular British culture
You can get up close and personal with celebrities like Simon Cowell made famous by UK reality TV show 'Pop Idol' you can try to impress him with your vocal talents and then listen to his comments.
The system you sing into tells how in tune you are and dictates his comments from his trademark put downs to the very rare praise.
Pop and movie stars
If you want more than TV personalities you can rub shoulders or chests with the cream of Hollywood, Brad Pitt. You can stroke his silicon chest - it may be the closest you ever get to doing it. Or if you would rather you can dance with pop princess Britney Spears and her backing dancers while Britney is all wax the dancers are real creating a unique experience.
How much do they cost?
Beyonce Knowles, singer with the girl group Destiny's Child, was mmortalized in 2004 at a cost of ВЈ 52,000 complete in the orange and pink Versace dress she wore in her music video 'Crazy in love' as part of the Diva's exhibition.
The interactive features and celebrity wax works are helping Madame Tussauds remain a world famous tourist attraction that celebrities want to be part of and people want to visit.
Chronology
And now I'd like to present the full history of Madame Tussaud's in brief.
FRANCE, 1770-1802
Through talent and determination, a young girl named Marie Grosholz came to be numbered among the most famous of English institutions.
1761 - Marie Grosholz, later known as Madame Tussaud, is born in Strasbourg. p> 1770 - Marie's mother's employer, a doctor called Philippe Curtius, opens an exhibition of life-size wax figures at the Palais Royale in Paris. Marie learns the art of wax modelling from him.
1777 - Marie models the famous author and philosopher, Francois-Marie Arouet Voltaire. p> 1780 - Marie becomes art tutor to King Louis XVI's sister and goes to live at the royal court in Versailles.
1789 - The outbreak of the French Revolution. - Marie returns to Paris, later helping Curtius to mould the heads of some of the guillotine's victims - among them her Versailles acquaintances.
ENGLAND - TRAVELLING PERIOD, 1802-35
1794 - Marie Grosholz inherits Curtius's collection of figures. p> 1795 - She marries François Tussaud, an ...
