We have to talk about Willy Wonka, believe it or not. A Willy Wonka-inspired ‘experience’ over in Glasgow, Scotland, turned out to be a scam.
On its website – which is, remarkably, still up and running – the so-called “Willy’s Chocolate Experience” promised visitors the chance to “indulge in a chocolate fantasy like never before” with “extraordinary props, oversized lollipops, and a paradise of sweet treats.” Fantastical art was shown alongside descriptions of the interactive “Enchanted Garden,” “Imagination Lab,” and “Twilight Tunnel.”
The two-day event claimed to be “suitable for aged 3+ years old” and boasted “captivating live performances featuring charming characters singing orginal [sic] catchy tunes.”
Sound too good to be true? That’s because it was.
NBC News reports that when ticket holders arrived at the event last weekend, they found “a sparsely decorated warehouse with nothing resembling the Charlie the Chocolate Factory franchise the event invoked in its advertising.” The pictures make it look like a prison. They ended up having to call the police because people were so pissed at the bait and switch.
Wonka is supposed to make you joyful and hopeful. I know this from experience.
It was almost four years ago that we launched The Megyn Kelly Show. It was 2020 during the COVID pandemic. We had just started the podcast, and I was turning 50. For my fiftieth birthday, my team booked Peter Ostrum and Julie Dawn Cole, who played Charlie Bucket and Veruca Salt in Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971). You can listen to the interview way back in episode 41.
I love Willy Wonka. I love Charlie and Chocolate Factory. I love the book. I love the movie. I love it all. I tweeted this at the time, but it honestly was the first and only interview in my life where I literally burst into tears before I asked a single question. I was so overwhelmed.
Julie Dawn Cole asked me what I was doing for my fiftieth birthday, and I told her I didn’t have plans because it was COVID and we couldn’t travel. She told me that when we were ready, we should come over to London and watch the movie together with her.
And it happened! I did it. We stayed at this beautiful hotel that I highly recommend. It’s called Brown’s Hotel in London. They made a little Wonka room with the help of my assistant Abby that, as you can see below, was better than the one in Glasgow.
This was just a hotel room that they decorated. Julie Dawn Cole came over, and we sat there – she and I and my whole family – and watched the movie together. Below is a slice of one of my favorite moments:
Julie was awesome. She made a call, and we spoke to the head Oompa Loompa. That is the real Wonka experience, not whatever those poor people in Glasgow attended.
The whole thing was a little teary, but it was mostly joyful. We drank. We danced. We sang. It was a dream come true. Sometimes dreams really do come true.
You can check out Megyn’s full analysis by tuning in to episode 734 on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you like to listen. And don’t forget that you can catch The Megyn Kelly Show live on SiriusXM’s Triumph (channel 111) weekdays from 12pm to 2pm ET.