Channel 5 will release a one-off documentary titled Willy Wonka: The Scandal That Rocked Britain later this month. According to The Independent, this project will shed light on the infamous Willy’s Chocolate Experience in Glasgow, which turned out to be a catastrophe.
Willy’s Chocolate Experience was an unlicensed event based on Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Held in Glasgow, Scotland, the organizers of this event advertised it as an immersive and interactive family experience. The promotional website stated that the Experience would have “dreamlike” AI-generated images.
Charmed by promises, several people bought tickets to this event. However, upon their arrival, they realized that the whole thing was a massive scam. Ticket holders were promised “extraordinary props, oversized lollipops, and a paradise of sweet treats.” Unfortunately, all they got was a sparsely decorated warehouse. Furthermore, hardly anything in this warehouse resembled the Charlie and the Chocolate Factory franchise.
One of the ticket holders, Alana Lockens, paid $44.40, to take her two young kids to the event. According to NBC News, she disappointingly stated, “It was just ridiculous. I mean, just very amateurish. Absolutely nothing like what was described. For the sake of my children, we were trying to be happy and smiley so that they wouldn’t pick up on the disappointment and just tried to make the best of a bad situation.”
For now, the synopsis for Willy Wonka: The Scandal That Rocked Britain is unconfirmed. However, The Independent reports that it will air on Channel 5 on 16 March, 2024.
Why did people call the cops on Willy’s Chocolate Experience?
According to NBC News, Willy’s Chocolate Experience was so terrible that ticket holders called the police to the scene. Feeling ripped off, the public demanded refunds. This event was also compared to the infamous Fyre Festival. Like the Willy’s Chocolate Experience, the Fyre Festival was falsely advertised as a “once-in-a-lifetime musical experience.”
NBC News interviewed two hired actors for the event, who revealed that the organizers promised to pay them £500 to perform in themed costumes. However, upon arriving for rehearsals, they realized that things didn’t add up. 18-year-old hired actor Michael Archibald stated, “I thought, this is where dreams go to die.”
He further stated, “I already could feel the embarrassment. … I knew the script was AI-generated, as well. I was like, this isn’t normal human writing.”
He said to The Independent, “Everything was described as a world of wonders and imagination, an immersive experience. But once I walked in to see that everything had still been getting set up. I felt like things were going to take a turn for the worst from then on. There was a lot of dancing about with our contracts and mentions of pay felt flimsy.”
Photos and videos of this failed event also began circulating on social media which left millions stunned by this scam. However, organizers of the Experience recently announced that refunds will be provided to everyone who purchased the tickets.
Willy’s Chocolate Experience was hosted by the London-based event company House of Illuminati. Furthermore, Box Hub, the event venue that rented out its space for the event, released a statement saying they had zero involvement in the event apart from renting out the venue.
