In yet another example of AI spelling as much doom as it does possibility, families traveling to Glasgow, Scotland for a Willy Wonka-themed event ⏤ some from hundreds of miles away ⏤ were in for a wild surprise.
Instead of indulging in “a chocolate fantasy like never before,” they found themselves in a half-empty warehouse filled with mediocre activities and actors who reportedly couldn’t remember their lines. Families who paid £35, or around $44 for each ticket, were so upset that someone even called the Glasgow police and the deeply embarrassing sham became international news.
The purported “Willy’s Chocolate Experience” was set to take place on Feb. 24 and 25, 2024, at Box Hub, an event space in Glasgow, and was heavily advertised using AI imagery that proved a far cry from what greeted ticket holders once they arrived. The ominous-sounding “House of Illuminati” organized the event, which was then canceled on the first day.
An event listing on the Scottish tourism site WhatsOnGlasgow promised “interactive installations” and “delectable treats” with chocolate fountains and “larger-than-life candies.” Families found a partially inflated bouncy house and a few sets, and instead of candy suitable for Wonka’s factory, were given two jelly beans each and some lemonade. (One does wonder if they read the fine print on the site, though, which does include such red-flag misspellings as “imagnation” and “orginal,” among others.)
According to The New York Times, Stuart Sinclair drove two hours from Dundee, Scotland, to attend the event with his three children. “There was maybe 20 chairs, a couple of tables, and a half-inflated bouncy castle,” Sinclair said. “As soon as they walked in the door, they were like, ‘wow,’ just shaking their heads and totally in disbelief of how bad it was,” Sinclair added. In a Facebook statement, which has since been removed, The House of Illuminati said, “We fully apologize for what has happened and will be giving full refunds to each and every person that purchased tickets.”
What were they thinking?
Speaking with the BBC, Paul Connell, who was hired to play an Oompa Loompa at the Glasgow event, said he received his script just a few days before it was set to happen and it was rife with AI-generated gibberish and misspellings. The event publicity, as we know, had similar misspellings and nonsense words, and there was even a disclaimer that the event was unaffiliated with Roald Dahl or any recent film adaptations of the Wonka story. Thank goodness.
Connell said that once he arrived, he was shocked at the condition of the warehouse and was told he could do whatever he wanted once guests showed up, but he tried to do his best for the children. “It was very disappointing to see how many people turned up at this event and found basically me dressed up as Willy Wonka in a half-abandoned warehouse,” Connell said. “It was not what I was expecting. I was offered the part on the Thursday, given 15 pages of AI-generated gibberish to learn and then obviously turned up and saw what it was.”
In the aftermath, families and actors hired for the event posted pictures and stories in a Facebook group called “House of Illuminati Scam,” which, as of this report, has more than 2,000 members. Many photos and videos posted reflect the dire state of what families encountered inside the space, like this actress’ picture shared online.
As news of the so-called “House of Illuminati scam” spread, the topic went viral in the U.K. alongside another major topic of conversation: the whereabouts of Kate Middleton, who hasn’t been seen in public in weeks following an alleged abdominal surgery.
Were Glasgow police needed at the event?
Once Glasgow police arrived at the Box Hub after the event was canceled, they determined that they were not needed. Connell, however, said he took a break to save his “sanity.” When he returned, he called the scene “carnage,” with people “running everywhere, shouting, threatening the organizers.”
In another since-deleted Facebook post, The House of Illuminati called it a frustrating day and said they “were let down in many areas of the event” at the last minute and should have canceled earlier. Once inside the space, another actor, Michael Archibald, told NBC News, “I thought, this is where dreams go to die … I could already feel the embarrassment.”
In the wake of the controversy, The House of Illuminati director Billy Coull wiped his social media. It was widely reported that Coull and everyone else from The House of Illuminati declined to comment on the story.
