'Bridgerton Ball' Pole Dancer Admits She Was Hired 3 Hours Before, 'Didn't Really Know' What The Show Was

The pole dancer from the controversial 'Bridgerton'-themed ball is breaking her silence about the controversial event.

The hired dancer, Tink, revealed that she did not know what exactly she was hired to perform in a new interview.

The professional circus performer, who specializes in pole dancing, told 'The Cut' that she had been contacted just three hours before the event and was specifically asked to perform a pole dance — though she offered other performance options.

Unfamiliar with the 'Bridgerton' theme, Tink quickly researched and packed a few costumes.

"I didn't really think about it too much because of the Great Gatsby event I did," she said. "But now, thinking about it, Great Gatsby is in the '20s. Bridgerton is the 1800s. But I just had a role to play, and they were paying me, so I did it."

Tink says she was paid $800 for three five-minute sets to a mix of classical and pop tunes, including "Moves Like Jagger" by Maroon 5, "which was very uncomfortable."

"I was just thinking, 'When is this going to be over? I'm getting paid, so just do your job and get it over with,' " Tink remembered. "The coordinator was very anxious that night and backstage. Usually producers are a little stressed during show days, but I've never seen a producer that stressed out during a show." While she appreciated the kindness of the event staff, the scale of the event's failure only hit her once the backlash spread across social media.

She recalled how one of the most humorous posts she saw was a meme from 'The Shade Room' where a guest joked, "I don't remember this [a pole dance] being in Bridgerton."

"They basically just had me walk around and say, "Hello, I'm your Bridgerton fairy," and just add to the ambience of the night. I don't know. [Laughs.] It was weird," Tink said. "I was going off-book because I didn't know what they wanted me to do. They just said, "Do character work." That was it. Usually when I work, I'm going to events as Tink the Fairy, so I just switched it to the Bridgerton Fairy."

When asked if attendees were upset with her presence, she described how "people were smiling. It was cute. I did see people who looked at me funny when I walked past, and those are the ones I decided not to go up to."

Those who attended the ball found the event extremely disappointing for a number of reasons. The event was advertised as an "evening of sophistication, grace, and historical charm," promising an elegant experience for attendees.

"I wasn't really expecting much, honestly," Tink told the outlet. "So I was impressed, because of the past jobs I've done locally, they don't really go to that extent. I don't do many local jobs because they're usually in an old warehouse or an old car garage that they try to upscale to be an event place. And it's really just not the vibe if you are trying to take your career seriously. [...] For Detroit it was still something that I think had some kind of effort."

However, those who paid anywhere between $150 and $1,000 for tickets were met with a different reality.

Guests reported that the ball was poorly organized with minimal staffing, undercooked food, and underwhelming decorations, which appeared to be sourced from Party City.

Instead of the opulence they expected, attendees were left confused and dissatisfied. The entertainment, which many hoped would reflect the Regency era of the show, fell short, as a lone violinist provided the only live music.

The Detroit Bridgerton ball, orchestrated by Uncle & Me LLC, quickly gained notoriety online, with many comparing it to the infamous Fyre Festival.

"The guests were dressed beautifully. When I was going around doing my character work, I was complimenting everyone, calling girls Disney Princess names, which made them smile," Tink said. "Everyone looked like they put a lot of time and thought toward their outfits. But the actual event, with the actual venue, they could have decorated it a lot more. I definitely understand why the guests are very upset."

Tags

Netflix, Bridgerton