Woman who claims she is Madeleine McCann tells Dr Phil she will take whatever tests are necessary to prove claim

28 March 2023, 08:23 | Updated: 6 April 2023, 12:18

‘I Believe I’m Madeleine McCann’

By Will Taylor

A Polish woman who claims to be Madeleine McCann has said she is willing to complete whatever tests are necessary to show she is the missing girl.

Listen to this article

Loading audio...

Julia Wendell, 21, appeared on US show Dr Phil on Monday and said she began suspecting she was Madeleine in June last year.

"I believe I am Madeleine McCann," she insisted.

She claimed her mother would change the subject when she brought up her birth, and that her photos and birth certificate were never shown to her.

And she claimed a document in Poland that tracks her health as a child has six blank pages at the start.

Dr Phil talked her through photos Julia claims show similarities to Madeleine, including her suggestion that she laughs similarly to the missing girl in one photo.

He asked about her parents, who maintain they are her biological parents, but Julia said her mother "didn't want to show me any proof".

Julia's claims have not been verified
Julia's claims have not been verified. Picture: Social media

"She says she went to the hospital and gave birth to you," Dr Phil said.

"She said, yes. When I asked her for DNA before this whole situation, when I asked her for some pictures from her pregnancy, some childhood pictures… she refused."

Read more: Woman claiming she is Madeleine McCann threatens to sue mother who raised her in Poland

When Dr Phil pushed her on why she had not sent DNA samples to the Met, she said she had tried to contact police in the UK but had not heard back.

She said nobody listened to her at either the British or Polish embassies so she switched to Instagram to push her claims.

Read more: Madeleine McCann cops set to get £300,000 funding boost but 'eyebrows raised' in time of 'squeezed budgets'

She said she would take whatever tests are needed to prove her claim.

Her claims have been encouraged by Fia Johansson, who has become Julia's spokeswoman. She is a self-titled "medium".

Maddie vanished in 2007
Maddie vanished in 2007. Picture: Handout

Ms Johansson appeared on Dr Phil too, saying while it is not yet possible to say Julia is definitely missing Madeleine, she claimed it is impossible to completely deny it.

She has previously said Julia's family refuse to take their calls on the matter, while Julia's family have said it is "obvious" she is their relative.

Madeleine vanished during a family holiday to Portugal in 2007.

Cops investigating what happened are set to be given another £300,000 to keep the case going.

Kate and Gerry McCann have not commented on Julia's story.

More Latest News

See more More Latest News

Voters in a queue at a voting station on Election Day in Pennsylvania

Road to the White House: The key swing states that will decide the 2024 US Election

The 64-year-old previously revealed he was days from death before undergoing surgery

Jeremy Clarkson issues major health update after life-changing surgery as he tells fans he is 'better than ever'

US Capitol Police arrested a man on Tuesday

Man arrested at US Capitol for 'smelling like fuel and bringing a flare gun and a torch', police say

Israeli PM Netanyahu has fired his defence minister Yoav Gallant.

Israeli PM Netanyahu fires defence minister Yoav Gallant in surprise announcement

Donald Trump after casting his vote on Tuesday

Donald Trump claims he's 'very confident' of victory in US election race after casting his ballot

Conor McGregor has been accused of raping and choking a woman in a Dublin hotel

Conor McGregor accused of raping and choking woman after snorting cocaine

The ex-Manchester City footballer married Stephen Darby in 2018, a few months before he was diagnosed with the condition

Ex-Lioness captain Steph Houghton reveals husband's 'life-changing' operation amid MND battle

Underground train, Barbican Tube Station, Smithfield, England, United Kingdom

Tube drivers call off planned London Underground strikes after improved pay offer

Playa de los Pocillos puerto del carmen Lanzarote, Canary Islands, spain

British tourist, 34, found dead on beach in Lanzarote

Trump and Harris go head to head

US Election night guide: What time do polls close and who is favourite to win?

The boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, had only just turned 12 when he took part in the violent disorder

Britain's youngest rioter: Boy who had just turned 12 sentenced for involvement in violent disorder

The 170-metre red bridge over wetlands in Canada Water, south-east London, opened last week

Security guards to stop cyclists from using bright red ‘wildlife boardwalk’ at £3.3bn London housing development

Rubert Gispin was visiting flood-hit parts of his native Valencia

Spanish influencer defends ‘shameful’ decision to deliberately cover himself in mud in Valencia’s flood damaged streets

Sara Sharif's father denies murdering the 10-year-old.

Father claims he begged to save Sara Sharif before being told ‘Leave it, she’s dead’

Queen Camilla is unwell with a chest infection and has withdrawn from her engagements this week

The Queen withdraws from engagements this week after being taken ill, Buckingham Palace announces

Tesco customers are furious after being forced to wait hours to book a Christmas delivery slot.

'It's like getting Beyonce tickets': Fury as Tesco shoppers face 'ridiculous' online queues for Christmas delivery slots