Latest Press Release
Tom Daley Dives into Madame Tussuads London
27th February 2012
With the Olympics less than five months away, Madame Tussauds London unveiled a brand new wax figure of Tom Daley, paying tribute to Team GB and Daley as one of the faces of London 2012.
One of the most dramatic figures ever to feature at Madame Tussauds, Daley is captured in mid-dive as he soars from the diving board towards the water. The high impact figure is suspended at a height of four metres in a specially designed aquatic set and guests can literally walk right underneath as Daley is frozen in action.
The champion diver commented: “I can't wait to see the figure and know the sculptors will have done an amazing job. I'm sure it'll be a strange feeling to see my 'twin' suspended in mid-dive - it really is an honour to be in Madame Tussauds London amongst so many sporting legends.”
Over the last six months Tom has been heavily involved in the creation of the figure, from choosing the pose and donating his blue adidas trunks; he even managed to squeeze in two sittings with Madame Tussauds sculptors between training and studying for his A-levels.
Because of the unique nature of the pose, the figure was one of the most complex ever created by the Madame Tussauds Studios team. The figure shows more flesh than any other in the attraction and the muscle definition of an athlete descending in a perfect dive had to be spot on. The facial expression also needed to portray Daley accurately, upside down and totally focused in the moment of the dive. The inverted positioning also created special challenges for the hair and colouring team and a special spinning support mechanism was created to allow the team to rotate the figure during the final stages of completion.
Liz Edwards, PR Manager at the attraction, commented “We are thrilled to welcome Tom’s figure to Madame Tussauds London. He is one of the youngest sports personalities we’ve ever featured and his pose is without a doubt one of the most unique. His figure makes a magnificent addition to our newly re-vamped Sports Zone. We know fans are going to relish the chance to witness Tom in a spectacular diving freeze frame and we hope they will seize the opportunity to step right into the scene with him.”
Daley takes his place in Madame Tussauds’ newly revamped interactive Sports Zone, joining fellow Team GB member, Jessica Ennis and a cast of sporting legends from past and present – from Mohammed Ali to David Beckham. Plus another 2012 hopeful will join Daley just before the big event begins but details are being kept tightly under wraps for now.
For all the latest updates on Tom visit www.tomdaley.tv
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For further information contact Stacey Sutton or Amy Williams at freerange communications on 0207 402 9966 / amy@freerange.eu
For further information contact Stacey Sutton or Amy Williams at freerange communications on 0207 402 9966 / amy@freerange.eu
Notes to Editors:
Prices to Madame Tussauds are from £14.40 for adults and children (4-15 inclusive) when you pre-book at www.madametussauds.com/london. Priority access tickets can also be booked on 0871 894 3000*. On the day tickets are £28.80 for adults and £24.60 for children.
*Calls cost 10p per minute plus network extras
Madame Tussauds Studios London has been making wax figures for over 150 years. Each masterpiece takes four months, and a team of 20 dedicated sculptors, to create. Over 500 precise body measurements are referenced, real head hairs are inserted one by one, and countless layers of paints and tints are applied to build up skin tones - all to achieve the kind of astonishing realism that has kept Madame Tussauds world renowned for over two centuries
Madame Tussauds has attractions in London, Hollywood, New York, Las Vegas, Washington D.C., Amsterdam, Berlin, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Bangkok, Vienna, Blackpool UK, Sydney 2012 and Florida in 2013, with interactive figures and experiences built around fame and celebrity. In London, guests can get up close and personal with incredibly lifelike replicas of 21st century stars like Kate Moss, Johnny Depp and Amy Winehouse, brave the scariest Chamber Of Horrors yet, complete with actors as bloodthirsty serial killers and take a time-travelling taxi ride through 400 years of amazing London history.
MERLIN ENTERTAINMENTS is the leading name in location-based, family entertainment, and has seen the most successful and dynamic growth of any company in the sector over the last five years. Europe’s Number 1 and the world’s second-largest visitor attraction operator, Merlin now operates over 74 attractions, six hotels/two holiday villages in 17 countries and across four continents. The company aims to deliver memorable and rewarding experiences to its 43.6 million visitors worldwide, through its iconic global and local brands, and the commitment and passion of its managers and more than 16,000 employees. Merlin Entertainments operates the following attractions - SEA LIFE, Madame Tussauds, LEGOLAND, The EDF Energy London Eye, Dungeons, Gardaland, LEGOLAND Discovery Centres, Alton Towers Resort, Warwick Castle, Thorpe Park, Chessington World of Adventures Resort, Heide Park, Earth Explorer, Sydney Aquarium, Sydney Wildlife World, Sydney Tower Observatory and Skywalk, Kelly Tarlton’s Antarctic Encounter Underwater World, Oceanworld Manly and Hamilton Island Koala Gallery. All brands which are distinctive, challenging and innovative – and which have great potential for growth in the future. Visit www.merlinentertainments.biz for more information.
For year-round group savings and benefits, including free group leader tickets, go to Merlin Groups (www.merlingroups.com). Group sizes start at just ten people and bookings can be made online or by calling 0871 222 6944*.
*Calls cost 10p per minute plus network extras