Glasgow’s Viral Oompa Loompa Woman Reveals Shocking Truth Behind Her Sudden Fame

Can you imagine paying £35 to visit Willy Wonka’s legendary chocolate factory only to find yourself standing in an abandoned warehouse, wondering if you stumbled into a surreal fever dream? That’s exactly what happened in Glasgow over a year ago—and if you thought that was just a hilarious internet meme, think again. Behind the viral chaos and endless jokes was a real-life heartbreak, especially for Kirsty Paterson, the Oompa Loompa who became the unwitting face of this fiasco. What starts as a laugh in the fast-moving meme world can quickly spiral into something dark, touching on mental health struggles many never expected. So, what really happens when viral fame meets personal turmoil? Let’s unwrap this bittersweet tale. LEARN MORE.

Warning: This article contains discussion of suicide and mental health issues which some readers may find distressing

It seems remarkable to think that the viral Willy Wonka experience in Glasgow happened over a year ago now, but the world of internet memes is a fast-paced business.

For those of you who don’t remember, police were called to the scene and children were left in tears after shelling out £35 per ticket for an event most described as ‘an absolute shambles’.

After arriving at the ‘abandoned warehouse’ for what was supposed to be the iconic factory from Roald Dahl’s children’s book, parents quickly realised that they weren’t going to get their money’s worth.

Still, at least their kids weren’t turned into a blueberry or pushed down a garbage chute.

It’s been over a year since the disastrous Willy Wonka experience in Glasgow (Stuart Sinclair)

The director of events company House of Illuminati, Billy Coull, later apologised after the event didn’t meet people’s expectations, saying: “I’m really shocked that the event had fallen short of the expectations of people on paper.

“My vision of the artistic rendition of a well known book didn’t come to fruition. For that I am absolutely truly and utterly sorry.

“There was every intention to hold the event, from the pictures, despite not being in the best light hopefully you’ll be able to see that there was every intention to hold the event.”

Despite the organisers being at fault rather than the staff who worked there, it was Kirsty Paterson who went viral after an image of her dressed as an Oompa Loompa was seen nearly everywhere on the internet.

While it seemed funny at the time, 31-year-old Kirsty has now discussed the detrimental impact it had on her mental health, and how it almost led to her death.

Kirsty Paterson was hired to be an Oompa Loompa for the now-viral event (X)

Speaking about consent when it comes to photographs being taken of people on the Go Doxx Yourself podcast, she said: “I think there needs to be definitely 110% more legislation on this because the result of this could be death and suicide.

“I just couldn’t mentally deal with it, I had to switch off and even when my phone was switched off I couldn’t switch off and for me, it was the horrible comments it was putting me down a dark hole at the time.

“I just got completely dehumanised. I was just getting used for advertisements everywhere. Merchandise was getting made about me. This was all within four days.

“And I turned my phone off because I actually mentally couldn’t cope with it.”

Kirsty even appeared on This Morning after going viral (ITV)

The actor, who later revealed she hadn’t even been paid the right amount after the humiliating experience, suggested that it was only thanks to her parents sharing images on how the entertainers there weren’t to blame that the narrative started to change.

She said: “I’m forever grateful to the parents for doing that. And they kind of saved my life. I’m not being dramatic when I say that.

“Going viral isn’t all positive, but it’s also been an amazing experience as well.”

If you’re experiencing distressing thoughts and feelings, the Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM) is there to support you. They’re open from 5pm–midnight, 365 days a year. Their national number is 0800 58 58 58 and they also have a webchat service if you’re not comfortable talking on the phone.