A waxwork of Boris Johnson appeared outside a job centre on the day the Prime Minister made his resignation statement. The figure from Madame Tussauds in Blackpool was relocated by staff ahead of the announcement on Thursday lunchtime.
The lifelike figure, complete with a mop of blonde hair and grin, was greeted with amusement by passers-by. There were smiles and curious glances while others couldn't pass up the chance to grab a picture outside Jobcentre Plus.
The waxwork was unveiled at Madame Tussauds in March after taking eight months to plan and create, Lancs Live reports. A team of 20 artists collectively worked on the waxwork and hundreds of hours were spent on the figure.
Each strand of hair had to be intricately placed atop of Mr Johnson's head. A further 80 hours were spent placing each tooth.
Meanwhile, Madame Tussauds in London updated its 10 Downing Street display with a sign saying “vacancy”. The display now shows the newly resigned Tory leader standing next to a Downing Street sign smiling at the door to Number 10.
As the Number 10 leadership race begins, Madame Tussauds confirmed Mr Johnson’s wax figure will be removed from the Baker Street attraction when he is officially no longer Prime Minister.
The timetable for the leadership contest is expected to result in a successor being in place for the party’s conference in October – with Mr Johnson intending to stay in No 10 until the process is complete.
Tory leadership hopefuls had already begun setting out their stalls before Mr Johnson made his announcement. Attorney General Suella Braverman and arch-Brexiteer Steve Baker have both indicated they will run. Foreign Secretary Liz Truss cut short an official trip to Indonesia to return to Westminster.
