For many, going to McDonald's and seeing a red-haired Ronald McDonald statue was part and parcel of the experience. The iconic fast-food mascot could sometimes be found greeting customers near the entrance to a McDonald's store.

If you were lucky enough, a real-life version would make a muck at your birthday party. But this once-loved figure has all but disappeared from not only McDonald's stores but also from its marketing material - and the reason why is quite disturbing. The fast-food chain phased out the red-haired clown altogether in 2016 due to a creepy social media trend. At the time, people would dress up as sinister-looking clowns, take photos of themselves and share them online.

At one point, people would rock up to schools across the US dressed as clowns. A Florida family was attacked by a group of 20 people wearing clown masks. Horror movies like IT, Clown, and Terrifier only added to our fear of clowns.

McDonald's ultimately decided to ditch Ronnie due to the public opinion of clowns changing. A statement from the fast food company at the time read: "McDonald's and franchises in the local markets are mindful of the current climate around clown sightings in communities and as such are being thoughtful in respect to Ronald McDonald's participation in community events for the time being."

It comes after the original Ronald McDonald portrayer, Willard Scott, died aged 87 in 2021. Back in 1987, he told The New York Times what it was like playing the once-belove character.

He said: "I just love people. A lot of speakers on the talk circuit leave right afterward... I do a lot of shmoozing. I'm like a dog. You just open the door and I go, 'rrrr, rrrr,' and then I lick everybody's face."

McDonalds was founded in 1940 by Richard and Maurice McDonald, in San Bernardino, California, United States. In 1948, the brothers introduced their Speedee Service System, which sped up cooking times and featured 15 cent hamburgers, according to the fast food chain's website.

The restaurant’s success led the brothers to begin franchising their concept—nine becoming operating restaurants. Ray Kroc later helped the brothers open their first store east of the Mississippi River in 1955.

His contribution to the fast food chain's growth and international success has been immortalised in the movie The Founder, starring Michael Keaton. The movie was released in 2016.