- Billy Coull, the man behind ‘Willy’s Chocolate Experience’ says he isn’t a scammer
- Coull claims to be devastated by how it turned out and says it has impacted his personal life
- Police were called by irate customers at quality of attractions at Experience, which closed the day it opened.
Billy Coull, the man behind the ill-fated ‘Willy’s Chocolate Experience’ in Glasgow – which went viral after irate visitors complained about the poor standard of the attraction – has said that his “life has been ruined” by the experience.
Willy’s Chocolate Experience had promised visitors a Willy Wonka-themed world where ‘chocolate dreams become a reality’ according to the glossy website. But it quickly turned into a nightmare on the opening day as furious guests, who had paid £35 per ticket, complained to the management and on social media about the experience, which featured a few sparse spaces in what looked like a warehouse. The police were even called to the venue to calm the situation.
The Experience closed the same day, but that didn’t stop images from it going viral across the world, including a miserable-looking actress dressed as an oompah-loompah, and the terrifying ‘The Unknown’ – a masked character who appeared from behind a mirror that had nothing to do with the Wonka story.
Speaking on a Channel 5 documentary in the UK, Coull said he wasn’t a “scam artist” adding that “my life has been turned upside” since the Experience went viral.
He added that he had been subject to all manner of abuse in the days that followed. “I was devastated,” he said, adding he was “sick to the pit of [his] tummy.”
Coull also told the documentary that he has lost friends and “the love of my life” over the incident.
When asked about refunds for tickets, which some customers say they have not received, Coull said that the process was ongoing, and that people should contact their bank as they could help.
