EXCLUSIVE ‘I definitely don’t think Charlie and the Chocolate Factory has to be rewritten at all’: Ex-child actor who played Augustus Gloop in original Willy Wonka movie blasts publishing censors changing Roald Dahl’s books to please snowflakes

• ‘Fat’ was removed from every book and the Oompa Loompas are gender neutral
• Child star of the original 1971 movie did not need to be rewritten and was ‘good’
• Read more:  ‘Woke’ publishing censors REWRITE Roald Dahl’s classic books

The former child actor who played Augustus Gloop in the original Willy Wonka movie has said there’s ‘nothing harmful’ about Roald Dahl’s story.

There has been huge controversy after it emerged that publishers had made a swathe of alterations to the author’s works, to remove potentially offensive language.

This has reportedly seen the word ‘fat’ removed from every book and making the Oompa Loompas from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory gender neutral.

Now a child star of the original 1971 movie, Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory, which starred Gene Wilder, has spoken out to defend the author.

German actor Michael Böllner played the glutinous boy Augustus Gloop, who departs the film after he falls into the chocolate river in Wonka’s factory.

Now child star, Michael Böllner, of the original 1971 movie, Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory, which starred Gene Wilder, has spoken out to defend the author

The german actor played the glutinous boy Augustus Gloop, who departs the film after he falls into the chocolate river in Wonka’s factory. He said: ‘I don’t think this chocolate factory story was politically incorrect at all

According to reports, as a result of the changes made by publishers Puffin and the Roald Dahl Story Company, Gloop is no longer called fat in new versions of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

Speaking from his home in Germany the actor, now 64, told the Daily Mail the book did not need to be rewritten and the story was ‘very good’.

He said: ‘I don’t think this chocolate factory story was politically incorrect at all.

‘Down here in Bavaria, we are used to people making jokes at us a little, and we are kind of very well known for being very fond of all our traditional food and that’s ok.

‘It is really fine. So I don’t have feeling like it was cruel or politically incorrect or anything.’

He added: ‘Performing on the set never made me sad or anything like this, really on the contrary.

‘So from my point of view it is really fine I think – fine with the book and story, and I definitely don’t think it has to be rewritten at all.’

Böllner said: ‘I also think that the story is actually very good too – it shows you bad things and bad behaviours – like that kids should not watch TV and should not eat too much, and it shows you that the good guys who do the right thing, they win in the end. All this is are good things, I think, so why stop children knowing about this?’

‘The film was made a long time again so maybe it could be that some of the views back then were a little different to things today. Maybe, But basically I think it is a very good story, and that there is nothing harmful about it, and people should therefore just let it be this way.’

It comes as Rishi Sunak hit out at attempts to alter Dahl’s books, with the Prime Minister quoting the author’s BFG character to warn you shouldn’t ‘gobblefunk’ with words.

The Prime Minister’s spokesman said it was ‘important’ literary works were ‘preserved and not airbrushed’, citing the ‘right of free speech and expression’.

The spokesman said: ‘When it comes to our rich and varied literary heritage, the Prime Minister agrees with the BFG that we shouldn’t gobblefunk around with words.

‘I think it’s important that works of literature and works of fiction are preserved and not airbrushed. We have always defended the right to free speech and expression.’

Acclaimed writer Sir Salman Rushdie has also branded the moves as ‘absurd censorship’.

It was previously revealed that following the use of sensitivity readers, the publishers had decided to cut words such as ‘crazy’ and ‘mad’ from the books.

According to reports, as a result of the changes made by publishers Puffin and the Roald Dahl Story Company, Gloop is no longer called fat in new versions of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

References to the colours ‘black’ and ‘white’ are also said to have been removed, with the BFG not able to wear a black cloak and the description turning ‘white with fear’ axed.

This comes as children’s authors have given their opinion on the controversy.

His Dark Materials author Philip Pullman said that Dahl’s books ‘should be allowed to fade away’ rather than changed if they were regarded as offensive.

‘If Dahl offends us, let him go out of print,’ Pullman told Radio 4’s Today programme. ‘Read all these [other] wonderful authors who are writing today, who don’t get as much of a look-in because of the massive commercial gravity of people like Roald Dahl.’

He pointed out there were probably millions of second-hand editions of Dahl’s books in school libraries, classrooms and charity shops, saying ‘are you going to round up all the books and cross them out with a big black pen?’.

Appearing on Nicky Campbell’s Radio 5 Live talk show, John Dougherty, award-winning author of about 30 children’s books, said the alterations made to Dahl’s books sounded like ‘overreach’.

He said there was no reason the BFG should not have black cloak, saying this ‘seems absurd’.

A spokesman for the Roald Dahl Story Company has said: ‘We want to ensure that Roald Dahl’s wonderful stories and characters continue to be enjoyed by all children today.

‘When publishing new print runs of books written years ago, it’s not unusual to review the language used alongside updating other details including a book’s cover and page layout.

‘Our guiding principle throughout has been to maintain the storylines, characters, and the irreverence and sharp-edged spirit of the original text. Any changes made have been small and carefully considered.’

They added: ‘As part of our process to review the language used we worked in partnership with Inclusive Minds, a collective for people who are passionate about inclusion and accessibility in children’s literature.

‘The current review began in 2020, before Dahl was acquired by Netflix. It was led by Puffin and Roald Dahl Story Company together.’

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