Shocking Footage: Outraged Parents Confront Organizer of Disastrous Willy Wonka Event With Claims 'You've Scammed Children'
The organizer of a Willy Wonka event was confronted by angry parents who felt conned after buying tickets.
Feb. 29 2024, Updated 4:58 p.m. ET
Furious parents gave a piece of their mind to the organizer of a nearly $45-a-ticket Willy Wonka event in Glasgow, Scotland, accusing the man of scamming children while demanding a refund.
Billy Coull, the company's director, was seen addressing the frenzied crowd with two bouncers alongside him after the event promising "extraordinary props, oversized lollipops, and a paradise of sweet treats" fell completely flat, RadarOnline.com has learned.
"You've scammed children!" one person yelled in a video of the parents confronting the organizer posted on X, formerly Twitter. "It's a total scam."
Coull told the crowd they would have their money back by Monday. When grilled about the photos online, he admitted they used artificial intelligence to create some images for the event.
What had initially been touted as a fantastical and enchanting "experience" ended up being a sparsely decorated attraction in an empty warehouse that left Charlie and the Chocolate Factory fans immensely disappointed, according to attendees.
Billy Coull, the company's director, was seen addressing the frenzied crowd with two bouncers alongside him after the event fell flat.
Adding insult to injury was a lackluster script for the talent to work with and costumes that didn't exactly have a magical flair.
An Oompa-Loompa actress at the center of the controversy spoke out about the event that was in "complete and utter shambles," breaking her silence after going viral with a photo of herself in costume in a science lab.
What had initially been touted as a fantastical and enchanting "experience" ended up being a sparsely decorated attraction in an empty warehouse.
Kirsty Paterson was one of several performers recruited for the widely-criticized experience compared to the Fyre Festival. "I was angry at the time because I felt like this was embarrassing for me, and I felt bad for the people coming in as well," Paterson said about the event that was organized by House of Illuminati at Hubbox.
"I actually ended up shouting at the guy," the actress told Mail Online, noting, "I was just trying to make [it] slightly exciting for the kids."
Kirsty Paterson, one of several performers recruited for the widely-criticized experience compared to the Fyre Festival, spoke out about the event being in "shambles."
Not long after its debut, the experience had been canceled and local police were even called to the scene by attendees who felt swindled after purchasing tickets.
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In a statement that was formerly shared via Facebook, House of Illuminati apologized for not living up to expectations.
"Today has been a very stressful and frustrating day for many and for that we are truly sorry. Unfortunately, last minute we were let down in many areas of our event and tried our best to continue on and push through and now realize we probably should have canceled first thing this morning instead," they wrote.
"We fully apologize for what has happened and will be giving full refunds to each and every person that purchased tickets."
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