One Direction star Liam Payne measured up for Madame Tussauds waxwork

Wolverhampton’s Liam Payne joined band mates Harry Styles, Zayn Malik, Niall Horan and Louis Tomlinson to pose in the studio ahead of the grand unveiling of the figures later this month.

The band are said to have been very closely involved in the whole creative process.

All five have had two sittings for their waxworks, which are reported to have cost £150,000 each for skilled craftsmen to make.

With One Direction fever reaching new heights, the exhibition promises to be a real money-spinner for the world-famous wax museum.

And just like the boys, the waxworks will also be undertaking something of a world tour of their own.

They will be at the London museum from April 18 to July 11, before moving to New York from July 19 to October 11 and Sydney from October 24 to January 28, 2014.

They will be sat on a school-style double bench so fans will be able to sit down and get up close and personal – with 1D's wax figures at least.

Nineteen-year-old Liam, from Bushbury, said: "We actually first heard when we were over at Madame Tussauds looking at the figures so we were even more like 'WOW we're going to get one of these made'. And they are so lifelike ." The sculptors behind the 1D project believe that their models have captured all the tiny details of the boys' features, from Harry's trademark curls to Liam's smile and cheeky tattoos.

It promises to be quite a month for One Direction. Reports suggest that they are about to be named the world's richest boy band – worth a cool £25 million. The group will be named in the list of music millionaires under the age of 30 in the latest Sunday Times Rich List. It means its members, who are each aged between 19 and 21, have amassed a fortune of around £5m

each since being thrust together as a band on the 2010 series of TV talent show X Factor.

For more details on the waxworks visit madametussauds.com/1D