The whole nation went into meltdown this week, as rumours spread of an online character encouraging the vulnerable to commit terrible acts of self-harm.

The creepy, bulgy-eyed, straggly-haired female with the sinister grin pops up unexpectedly on programmes on the internet, telling everyone to follow her advice and do exactly what she says.

The Maymay offers sick challenges and increasingly dangerous tasks, like cutting yourself off from your friends, shooting yourself in the foot, or doing irreparable damage to a previously stable economy.