Saved: the Wordle clue that helped rescue 80-year-old woman from hostage ordeal

Daughters of Denyse Holt from Illinois grew concerned after she failed to send them a text containing her daily Wordle score

The wildly popular online puzzle Wordle has been credited with keeping people across the world sane amid the ravages of the pandemic. But now it has been hailed as a potential life saver, by providing the clue that helped rescue an 80-year-old woman from a 20-hour home invasion hostage ordeal.

Denyse Holt, a retired teacher, found herself locked in her basement in her home in Illinois after being woken up by a naked, knife-wielding intruder in the middle of the night.