Glasgow's Oompa Loompa says she struggled with Willy Wonka Experience mockery

An actress hired to play an Oompah Loompah at Glasgow's catastrophic Willy Wonka event has broken her silence about the backlash.

Earlier this week, the event (organised by House of Illuminati) went viral for all of the wrong reasons.

Families paid £35 each to attend what was supposed to be an immersive experience in the heart of the city. The AI-generated ad promised a fun-fuelled day based on Roald Dahl's world-famed story.

Instead, they were greeted with a sparsely decorated run-down warehouse and a random placement of a bouncy castle. Children were reportedly handed a single jelly bean each and half a cup of "Tescos-own brand lemonade." There was no chocolate in sight – given it was supposed to mimic a chocolate factory.

Children were left distraught, parents were fuming, and the police were called.

An image of one of actress Kirsty Paterson, hired to play an Oompah Loompah, went viral with some critics comparing it to looking like a meth factory.

X/Twitter

"I’m not going to lie or sugarcoat this: This has been quite a lot for me," she told Vulture. "I find it funny and I can make a humorous joke about it, but the flip side of this is that this is embarrassing for what I do, and I hope this doesn’t tarnish that."

"It’s as if it’s been edited. Obviously, because it’s such an ugly photo, people were commenting on it and saying I look ugly or like a meth head. I found the negative comments really hard, but I do see the funny side of it. I know I’m alright looking."

House of Illuminati was the company that put the event on and has since reportedly apologised for the 'stressful and frustrating day', offering 850 refunds before closing the experience to guests on Saturday (February 24).

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