Cluedo ousts Mrs White for a younger model
MRS White has been bumped off – and not by a dastardly villain with a candlestick in the dining room.
She has been done away with by the makers of Cluedo in favour of a younger character with model looks and an exotic history.
Mrs White, who was the cook and housekeeper in the Tudor mansion at the centre of the murder mystery, was one of the board game’s original characters.
But it seems that after almost 70 years under suspicion, the woman in the battered cook’s hat is considered too old, tired and dated. She is being replaced by Dr Orchid, the attractive adopted daughter of murder victim Dr Black.
Dr Orchid is a high-flying biologist with a PhD in plant toxicology. She was privately educated in Switzerland until she was expelled following an incident involving daffodils which resulted in a near-fatal poisoning.
According to a statement from the game’s maker Hasbro, Dr Orchid had been carrying out research for her PhD when she unearthed a plant with incredible medicinal properties.
It has also transpired that after her expulsion, Dr Orchid was educated at home by none other than the character she was destined to replace – Mrs White.
The mysterious disappearance of Mrs White has drawn some criticism on social media, with one Twitter user writing: ‘Cluedo mimics Hollywood’s habit of ditching older women.’ Another joked: ‘We needed a referendum Hasbro before Mrs White was unceremoniously murdered.’
Cluedo was launched in Birmingham in 1949 when Anthony Pratt and his wife Elva devised what was to become the classic whodunit game. This is the first time since the board game was launched that one of the original murder suspects has been dropped from the line-up.
Hasbro spokesman Craig Wilkins said: ‘It was a difficult decision to say goodbye to Mrs White – but after 70 years of suspicious activity, we decided that one of the characters had to go. Dr Orchid is a brilliant new character with a rich backstory.
‘We’re sure families across the UK will continue to create thrilling murder mysteries with all six suspects inside the mansion.’
The game’s other characters – Miss Scarlett, Professor Plum, Mrs Peacock, Reverend Green and Colonel Mustard – will keep their places. Hasbro previously released an edition of the game which saw updated characters including Jack Mustard, a sports pundit, and Victor Plum, a billionaire video game designer.
‘Unceremoniously murdered’