The Dark Truth About Madam Tussauds

After Dark: Myths, Misdeeds & the Paranormal

History Hit

Myths, Folklore, Mystery, History, Ghosts, Society & Culture, Murder, Ufos, True Crime, Paranormal, Supernatural, Serial Killers

4.6 • 1.2K Ratings

🗓️ 13 October 2025

⏱️ 58 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Behind the current display of celebrity waxworks lies the dark and bloody history of Madam Tussauds.

Join Anthony and Maddy as they go back to the 18th century, when Marie Tussaud escapes the guillotines of Revolutionary France to carve (and mould) her fortune and legacy in wax.

This episode was edited by Tom Delargy and produced by Stuart Beckwith. The senior producer was Charlotte Long.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Hi, we're your host's Anthony Delaney and Maddie Pelling.
0:03.7	And if you would like After Dark myths, misdeeds and the paranormal, ad free and get early access, sign up to History Hit.
0:11.1	With a History Hit subscription, you can also watch hundreds of hours of original documentaries with top history presenters and enjoy a new release every week.
0:20.7	Sign up now by visiting historyhit.com forward slash subscribe. top history presenters and enjoy a new release every week.
0:24.8	Sign up now by visiting historyhit.com forward slash subscribe.
0:32.2	The Grand Sumo Tournament comes to the Royal Albert Hall.
0:40.9	Over 40 elite sumo wrestlers from Japan will battle for the coveted title of grand champion over five days.
0:46.3	Witness the battle of power and endurance between these great athletes. From the 15th to the 19th of October.
0:50.5	For tickets and more information, head to royal alberthall.com.
0:59.7	What do you see when you walk into Madam Two Sorts today?
1:07.1	Celebrities frozen in time, glossy and smiling, a strange theatre of fame.
1:13.6	But behind the red carpets and selfies lies a story far darker. Because Madam Tussaud's
1:19.6	empire was born not in glamour, but in blood. In Revolutionary Paris, waxworks were more than curiosities. They were weapons. A likeness in wax
1:32.2	could rally a mob, inflame loyalty, or stoke rage. The boundary between art and reality blurred,
1:39.4	and faces cast in wax became politically dangerous. At that time, standing in the shadows was a young woman shaping her waxen creations while all around her France burned.
1:51.0	But who was she? How did she survive the terror by moulding the features of the freshly guillotined?
1:58.0	And how did those grisly relics become the foundation of one of the
2:02.4	world's most famous attractions? From the bloodied guillotines of the French Revolution,
2:08.2	this is After Dark.
2:13.2	The 12th of July 1789, and Paris is trembling on the brink of revolution.
2:21.0	Through the narrow streets, an angry crowd surges their cries echoing against the stone.
2:27.8	At the heart of the mob, two heads are carried aloft on pikes.
	...

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