Julia Wandelt, a Polish woman who has publicly claimed to be Madeleine McCann, was arrested upon arriving in the UK.

Authorities apprehended Wandelt at Bristol Airport shortly after she landed from Wroclaw, Poland. She was taken into custody on suspicion of stalking and harassing Kate and Gerry McCann, Madeleine’s parents.

Wandelt, 23, had reportedly planned to meet a friend in Cardiff when police intervened, surprising fellow passengers. The friend, believed to be in her 60s, was also arrested and taken away by authorities.

Her Claims and DNA Testing

Wandelt has maintained that she is Madeleine McCann and has stated that a DNA test conducted by a specialist in the United States links her to Kate and Gerry McCann.

Previously known as Julia Wendell, she gained widespread attention in February 2023 when she launched an Instagram account under the name ‘@IAmMadeleineMcCann’. Her claims led her to appear on the U.S. talk show Dr. Phil, where she discussed the possibility of being Madeleine, who disappeared at age three in 2007 after being abducted from her family’s holiday villa in Praia da Luz, Portugal.

Earlier this week, Wandelt posted to her new social media account, ‘@AmIJuliaWandelt’, sharing what she described as the results of a fresh DNA test. She claimed that Kate and Gerry McCann had “refused” to participate in the process.

According to her, the test results were analyzed by a “world expert” who compared them to DNA evidence from the crime scene linked to Madeleine’s disappearance. She also alleged that experts had matched her eyes, teeth, and voice to those of the missing child.

Confirmation of Arrest

Wandelt’s representative, Surjit Singh Clair, confirmed the arrest, stating, “I’m trying to find out what’s happened, but it appears Julia has been arrested at Bristol Airport this evening just after she got off the plane. The police have reportedly arrested her on an allegation of stalking and harassing the McCanns.”

In a series of Instagram posts last week, Wandelt claimed that a “source” suggested her genetic evidence “strongly supports that Gerry McCann could be her biological father.”