That sinking feeling

The sad Oompa-Loompa at Willy’s Chocolate Experience, an elf at a low-rent Lapland, the DJ who tried to save Blobbyland and a fixer at the ill-fated Fyre festival reveal what happened next after four truly disastrous events

By Sam Wollaston

‘I was handing out jelly beans to kids because there was nothing else’ Kirsty Paterson, the sad Oompa-Loompa IN FEBRUARY THIS YEAR, Kirsty Paterson was, she says, “a bit lost”. At 29, she had worked for an estate agent for five years and hated it. When she was diagnosed with ADHD, she realised a nine-to-five office job was never going to be a good fit. “It’s quite hard, because you try to do things like everyone else, and you think: ‘Why can I not be as organised?’ or ‘ Why can I not just sit still?’ That’s the big thing for me.” Paterson retrained as a yoga teacher and was building a clientele, doing bits and bobs on the side. She’s always loved performing. “I need creativity, I need stimulation, something different…

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Guardian Weekly (Digital) - 1 Issue, 23 August 2024

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