The face behind Willy Wonka 'scam': How Billy Coull 'conned' kids by using AI generated images to sell 'immersive' experience, sold Chat-GPT authored novels on Amazon, and faced backlash for cancelling Santa grotto
The man behind the Glasgow ‘Willy Wonka scam’ which saw customers shelling out £35 a-head for a ‘shambolic’ chocolate free, AI-generated event has been revealed as a Glaswegian ‘author’ who once cancelled Santa’s Grotto.
Billy Coull, who self-published 17 Chat-GPT written novels on Amazon last year, is the director of the House of Illumanati, a company that claims to ‘transform ordinary venues into immersive environments that transport guests into a realm of wonder.’
On Saturday, Coull’s latest venture the ‘Willy’s Chocolate Experience’ had perhaps the worst opening day ever after furious parents called the police on him due to the quality of his event, with the entrepreneur being forced to admit he had used AI to sell it.
Clarifying his intentions and fighting off allegations of dishonest marketing from the mob, Mr Coull said: ‘We guarantee a full refund from Monday. We used artificial intelligence to create some images for the event.’
However on closer inspection, there are many more examples of Coull relying on AI in his career, including on his company website.
Flanked by two bouncers, Billy Coull (left), the event companies director, was recorded attempting to control the furious crowd
On Saturday, Coull’s latest venture the ‘Willy’s Chocolate Experience’ had perhaps the worst opening day ever after furious parents called the police’
Angry families gathered outside and demanded refunds after the event was prematurely shut down
In 2021, Mr Coull was criticised for cancelling a Santa’s grotto event at a community hub after toys had been donated
Mr Coull has published 17 novels on Amazon which appear to have been AI generated
The website, which vaguely hints at a variety of unique experiences House of Illumanati can provide (without ever actually specifying how), consists of convoluted AI-generated writing married to AI-generated images.
READ MORE: Moment furious parents confront organiser of ‘immersive’ £35-a-ticket Willy Wonka event
Beneath one image of a computer generated ballroom showing a lightscape of the solar system, Coull has generated the following sentence:
‘Avant-Garde Art Installations, Explore the boundaries of art and perception with our Avant-Garde Art Installations.
‘These interactive exhibitions blend cutting-edge technology with provocative art, creating multisensory experiences that challenge and captivate.
‘From digital landscapes to immersive light shows, each installation is a journey through the unexplored territories of creativity.’
For the cursed Wonka event, Coull once again turned to AI generated text to conjure up an idyllic image of the event that failed to materialise.
The website vaguely hints at a variety of unique experiences House of Illumanti can provide
One image shows of a computer generated ballroom showing a lightscape of the solar system
On his Amazon author page, the ever humble Coull describes himself as an ‘enigmatic wordsmith’
Currently none of Mr Coull’s 17 works of fiction, including the tome ‘Crimson Eclipse: Chronicles of the Last Dawn’ are available to purchase
He writes: ‘Delectable Chocolate Fountains.
‘Picture yourself standing before cascading chocolate fountains, each velvety stream inviting you to dip, indulge, and savor the richness of Willy Wonka’s world.
‘These delectable fountains are not just a treat for the taste buds; they’re a visual spectacle, creating an atmosphere of chocolatey bliss that permeates the air.
‘As we countdown to the day when Willy Wonka’s world comes to life, imagine a day filled with laughter, joy, and the irresistible allure of chocolate.
‘The immersive delights of this event are poised to create lasting memories and redefine what it means to step into a world of pure imagination.’
On his Amazon author page, Coull describes himself as an ‘enigmatic wordsmith hailing from the bustling streets of Glasgow’ as well as a ‘rising star in the literary world.’
Currently none of Mr Coull’s 17 works of fiction, including the tome ‘Crimson Eclipse: Chronicles of the Last Dawn’ are available to purchase.
For his Wonka event, Coull also allegedly handed staff a 15-page AI generated script on the eve of the performance which they were expected to learn.
Take a look at the Wonkidoodles at McDuff’s Chocolate Factory script below.
Jenny Fogarty pictured in her costume prior to the event which was cancelled by organisers
Jenny said the £35-a-ticket event in Glasgow was ‘horrendously embarrassing’
Jenny Fogarty, 25, said the £35-a-ticket event in Glasgow was ‘horrendously embarrassing’ as parents arrived with their children to find a tiny bouncy castle and almost no sweets.
Ms Fogarty claimed the strangely written script had to be learned in just 12 hours and didn’t add up with the set of the event, promising features that didn’t exist.
Speaking exclusively to MailOnline, she said: ‘It was horrendously embarrassing. We didn’t want to walk out just because I feel like that would make it even worse. ‘When we arrived we were handed a script to learn in 12 hours or something like that.
‘We arrived for a dress rehearsal on the Friday evening, and were handed a script for the Saturday and Sunday – it wasn’t planned out at all.
‘There was meant to be a live performance of Willy Wonka taking the children through the factory. The script – I showed it to my partner – and we think it was AI generated.
‘There were parts in the script where we thought oh that sounds really good, because there were supposed to be interactive elements. There was a bit in the script where it was like if you touch the grass it will start laughing, and you thought oh so it’s got sensors in it, that will be really cool.
‘There were supposed to be bubble machines, there were supposed to be projectors, there was supposed to be so much more that was promised.’
According to Companies House, Mr Coull is a director of two other companies as well as House of Illuminati: Billy De Savage and Nexuma Holdings.
All three companies are registered to the same address in London and all three were formed last year.
Before he deleted his LinkedIn account following Saturday’s debacle, Mr Coull described himself as someone with ‘a wealth of experience in crafting marketing campaigns and events.’
Mr Coull has a chequered history in the event industry and was previously criticised for cancelling a Santa’s grotto event in 2021 after toys and gifts had been donated.
His Gowanbank Hub cancelled the scheduled event due to concerns over the Omicron virus and claims he and his team were ‘distraught.’
Families were left stunned when they arrived and were greeted with a near-empty factory with a few Wonka-themed props and a small bouncy castle
The event was cancelled halfway through on Saturday as angered mothers, fathers and grandparents demanded refunds
Pictures posted on Facebook by irate families showed a few posters pinned to a wall with tables lined up resembling a school dinner hall
One parent wrote on social media: ‘What an absolute shambles of an event. Took two minutes to get through to then see a queue of people surrounding the guy running it complaining’
The company said it had been ‘let down in many areas of our event and tried our best to continue’
MailOnline has approached House of Illuminati for more information.
In a statement on its Facebook page, they said: ‘Today has been a very stressful and frustrating day for many and for that we are truly sorry.
‘Unfortunately last minute we were let down in many areas of our event and tried our best to continue on and push through and now realise we probably should havd cancelled first thing this morning instead.
‘We fully apologise for what has happened and will be giving full refunds to each and every person that purchased tickets.
‘We planned a fabulous event and it just did not take shape as planned and for that we are truly sorry we are devastated at how this has turned out and understand people’s anger and frustration that everyone has had, refunds have already started being issued and the rest should be over the coming days, again we are truely [sic] sorry to everyone.’
They said refunds would take about 10 working days.
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