Creator of Willy Wonka-Themed Experience Apologizes for Failed Event: ‘It All Looked Good on Paper’

Mar. 15, 2025

The Willy Wonka-inspired event that police were called to in Glasgow.Photo:SWNS

SWNS

The man behind the failedWilly Wonka-themed experiencein Scotland that went viral late last month has apologized.

Billy Coull, 35, said he takes responsibility for the disappointing event on Feb. 24, which left some children in tears and led some parents to call police,The Sunday Timesreported Sunday.

“It all looked good on paper,” Coull told theTimes. He said he did not anticipate the amount of attention the event would eventually receive.

Coull issued a separate apology in aMarch 1 poston House of Illuminati’s Facebook page, and said the decisions made about the Wonka-themed event were “solely” his responsibility.

“I understand the disappointment and frustration this has caused, and for that, I am truly sorry,” Coull wrote.

He previously served as chief executive and director of a charity known as the Gowanbank Hub. The food bank and help center closed in 2022 after canceling its heavily-publicized Santa’s Grotto event, which sparked critiques online.

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The company ultimately shut down due to an “absolute lack of funding,” Coull told theTimes. The Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator said Gowanbank Hub had several overdue accounts at the time.

Additionally, Coull has 17 books for sale on Amazon that were written with AI, theTimesalleged

Some of the promotional material for the Willy Wonka-themed event appeared to be AI-generated as well, and at least two actors have claimed the scripts they received were created using the technology.

Paul Connell, who played Willy Wonka, described his 15-page script as“AI-generated gibberish”toToday. Kirsty Paterson, the Oompa Loompa whose image went viral, made asimilar claimin an interview withVulture.

House of Illuminati has not responded to PEOPLE’s requests for comment.

Coull has since left his family home and canceled plans for a destination wedding in Turkey this June, according to theTimes.

In his statement on House of Illuminati’s Facebook page, Coull asked “for a bit of time to process everything that has happened” in connection with the Wonka-themed event.

“My intention is to learn from this experience,” he continued. “Your support and understanding during this time mean the world to me.”

source: people.com