Latest news with #KirstyPaterson
Daily Record
23-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Record
Viral Glasgow Oompa Loompa calls for better protection from memes after trolls drove her to brink of death
Kirsty Paterson was targeted by trolls who mocked her appreance after she was pictured at the Willy Wonka Experience. A woman who went viral after a picture of her dressed as an Oompa Loompa was shared millions of times on the internet has called for better laws to protect people from having images of them posted without their consent. Kirsty Paterson, 31, was mocked and trolled online after a picture of her at the infamous event Willy Wonka Experience in Glasgow was shared across the world. She says the trauma of the experience almost led to her death. The picture of her, dressed as a sad Oompa Loompa, went viral after event bosses pulled the plug on the show when punters queued up to demand refunds after paying £35 for a tour of an almost empty warehouse. Kirsty was looking for her big break in acting when she took a job as an entertainer at the children's event in February 2024. However, days afterwards Kirsty had been forced to switch off her phone and go to stay with a friend in Edinburgh due to the online abuse. Even when seeking escapism by turning on the TV, she found her image was the butt of jokes from chat shows discussing the image. In an an interview with the Go Doxx Yourself podcast, she said: "I think there needs to be definitely 110% more legislation on this because the result of this could be death and suicide. "I just couldn't mentally deal with it, I had to switch off and even when my phone was switched off I couldn't switch off and for me it was the horrible comments it was putting me down a really dark hole at the time. "I just got completely dehumanised. I was just getting used for advertisements everywhere. Merchandise was getting made about me. This was all within four days. "And I turned my phone off because I actually mentally couldn't cope with it." Kirsty said that the picture continued to be shared widely afterwards and her mental health plummeted. She believes that copyright should change to mean that if an image of a person is being used commercially, that person should be able to give consent or see some benefit. It was only when parents shared a series of images to show how the entertainers had pulled out all the stops in difficult circumstances that the narrative started to change. Kirsty was later invited as a guest on TV chat shows, was featured by the New York Times and even starred in an Edinburgh Fringe Show based on the disastrous experience and its aftermath. She said: 'I'm forever grateful to the parents for doing that. And they kind of saved my life. I'm not being dramatic when I say that. "Going viral isn't all positive, but it's also been an amazing experience as well." To hear the full interview with Kirsty and for tips on what to do if your image goes viral, listen to Go Doxx Yourself, a podcast that unpicks the human stories behind cyber nightmares. For support if you are feeling overwhelmed or struggling to cope, contact the Samaritans at or by calling 116 123.
The Sun
09-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
I'm the world's most viral person for being a meme – trolls say I look like a granny, people I know are worst offenders
AN actress who played an Oompa Loompa at the farcical Willy Wonka Chocolate Experience has opened up on the relentless trolling she still faces - with some comparing her to a granny. Kirsty Paterson, 30, has enjoyed very positive publicity on opportunities in the year since the Glasgow event. 2 2 She's landed talkshow interviews across the globe, booked acting gigs and even makes money from fan videos. But she says becoming a viral meme has led to continued criticism over her appearance. Photos of Kirsty looking glum with a costume and green hair went viral after last February's flop. Outraged punters had forked out £35 for tickets only to be ushered into a sparsely-decorated warehouse. And Kirsty - dubbed the 'sad Oompa Loompa' - was trolled for her part in the event, which was shut down by police. In a recent TikTok video, Kirsty claimed: "I'm probably the most viral person in the whole world for being a meme. "Basically I did a really bad acting job, someone took a picture of it. Next thing I know I went on every single social media channel, news channel all over the world. "It was supposed to just be a bit of fun, extra money and I didn't think an awful picture of me would have completely changed my life. In both ways, good and bad. It's just been a wild journey. "Some of the constant issues I actually deal with [are] the trolling and the cyber bullying that goes on." She continued: "When I became a viral meme you get criticised for the way you look, you get hateful comments chucked at yourself online. Girl from viral meme recreates other trending moments "It can be a group of people, it can be an individual person. It actually comes a lot of the time from people you know, people you know in your past. "And this is something I experience every week. It was just the comments on my looks, saying I looked like an old woman, meth addict, told I need a facelift, I'll never get a man, I was ugly and that I should die. A lot of people told me to kill myself. "This random person I was friends with five years ago who I don't even think about anymore and I've cut off for a reason. They just come back and when I'm doing better for myself, they are slaughtering my posts." Singleton Kirsty also revealed that "dating is very difficult" as guys think they can say what they want about her because of her viral fame. She added: "But I think all celebrities or some influencers or someone who's randomly became a meme all go through this and it's difficult. it's something I'm still getting very much used to. "And it's a big issue because I think everyone's maybe experienced this on some sort of level but I've just experienced it on a global [scale]."
BBC News
03-04-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Grangemouth Stadium given lifeline under new lease
Grangemouth Stadium will be taken over by a newly-formed trust after Falkirk councillors agreed to lease it for a £1 peppercorn venue is used by local clubs and hosts regional, national and international events, and is also a training facility for competitors in the Olympics and Commonwealth Council said it could not afford the stadium's annual £550,000 maintenance costs and has been working with Scottish Athletics to find a way to save the is hoped the lease to Grangemouth Community Sports Trust (GCST) will be a stepping stone to a formal community asset transfer, which would see the stadium leaving the council's ownership completely. Councillors agreed a one-year full repair and insuring licence from 1 June, with the option to extend to a second year if Council will spend up to £500,000 to support the move to GCST, while £350,000 has been agreed for works to improve the condition of the to £120,000 will also be given to help the new group with running costs for the year ahead. 'Long-term future' The complex is currently closed and work has started to upgrade the changing who use the facilities will continue to have access to the track and field until the new body takes over in venue is part of Falkirk Council's strategic property review (SPR) which is seeing more than 100 buildings either closing or moving out of council community halls and Polmont Snowsports Centre have already moved into community ownership or management as part of the SPR, but the size of the stadium has made the transfer more to the lease agreement, Colin Hutchison, chief executive of Scottish Athletics, said the body had "worked tirelessly" with local clubs and partners to present a solution to Falkirk Council that would enable the stadium to stay said: "We welcome the proposed financial assistance from Falkirk Council to support GCST and look forward to working with the trust and other partners to secure the stadium's long-term future."As the only athletics facility in Falkirk, the stadium plays a crucial role in supporting the local athletics clubs and providing opportunities for local residents to participate in athletics and by local democracy journalist Kirsty Paterson.
