Kirsty Paterson, a Scottish actress, became an internet sensation in 2024 when photographs of her looking glum in an Oompa Loompa costume went viral following the catastrophic Willy Wonka Chocolate Experience in Glasgow. Netflix tracked her down and cast her in a starring role for their new reality show "Wonka's The Golden Ticket," transforming her from internet punchline to celebrated participant in what has been framed online as a "modern day redemption."

The original Glasgow event in February 2024 promised families a magical Wonka experience for £35 per ticket, featuring giant sweets, a chocolate river and an enchanted garden. Instead, visitors faced queues of up to 40 minutes to enter a largely empty warehouse with minimal decorations, receiving almost nothing—described as "two jelly babies and a quarter of a can of limeade"—leading to police involvement and the event being cancelled halfway through its first day. Paterson has since appeared in a musical based on the incident and moved to Australia, and will now feature in Netflix's show, which debuts on 23 September and tasks contestants with completing Wonka-themed challenges for a cash prize.