Willy Wonka Scandal documentary coming to Channel 5 after event went viral
The infamous Glasgow experience is getting its very own documentary.
If you've been anywhere on social media in the past couple of weeks, you'll undoubtedly have been inundated with memes, videos and shocked responses to the infamous Willy Wonka-inspired 'immersive' experience.
Families paid up to £35 a ticket to attend the Glasgow-based event, which promised "a day of pure imagination and wonder”. Actually, it was anything but, as parents and children were left disappointed (to put it mildly) by the scarce warehouse, frightening appearance from 'The Unknown' and makeshift Oompa-Loompas.
It was bound to end up the subject of a documentary sooner rather than later and taking the bull by the horns is Channel 5, who will be bringing us Willy Wonka: The Scandal That Rocked Britain on Saturday 16th March.
The one-hour documentary will undoubtedly be a must-watch for people who have been following the story avidly, and further details have been revealed.
The documentary will air at 7:35pm on Saturday and will be repeated on Tuesday 19th March at 7pm.
"It was a scandal that shocked the UK," the synopsis reads. "Hard-working British families were promised the experience of a lifetime and instead witnessed a horror show.
"In this astounding documentary, we expose the truth behind the Willy's Chocolate Experience – one of the biggest scandals of recent times that became a news story that made international headlines."
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The documentary plans to "reveal how organisers used AI to create fake adverts and posters showcasing a magical wonderland, but in reality, rented a warehouse and filled it with cheap-looking props and cardboard cut-outs".
The hour-long special will feature the victims of the event, "who share their stories of anger, disappointment, and disbelief; and the staff, who became overnight sensations on social media, as their performances went viral".
The company behind the viral event, House of Illuminati, previously confirmed that refunds would be given to customers.
A post on its official Facebook page last week added: "I want to extend my sincerest apologies to each and every one of you who was looking forward to this event. I understand the disappointment and frustration this has caused, and for that, I am truly sorry."
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Since the event went viral, multiple images have done the rounds on social media, including some of actress Kirsty Paterson, who was pictured as an Oompa Loompa.
Speaking on Good Morning Britain last week, she said: “They told us this was going to be pantomime style and that we were going to perform as they walked through. But what happened is, they gave us the scripts the night before and I remember on the Friday when I went it looked like that...
"And I kind of thought to myself, surely they must have people working throughout the night for this to be better with lights and everything like that."
Willy Wonka: the Scandal That Rocked Britain will air on Sunday 16th March at 7:35pm.
Looking for something to watch? Check out more of our Documentaries coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to see what's on tonight.
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Authors
Morgan Cormack is a Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering everything drama-related on TV and streaming. She previously worked at Stylist as an Entertainment Writer. Alongside her past work in content marketing and as a freelancer, she possesses a BA in English Literature.
