Ronnie Le Drew, the Canadian-born British puppeteer best known for operating Zippy on the classic children's television programme Rainbow, has died aged 78 after a short illness. The British Puppet Guild, of which Le Drew was president, confirmed the news.
Career highlights and collaborations
Le Drew also worked on the 1986 film Labyrinth alongside David Bowie, as well as 1986's Little Shop of Horrors and various Muppet movies including 1992's The Muppet Christmas Carol. He performed on multiple iterations of Sooty, usually as Sweep, Sooty's sidekick, alongside Harry and Matthew Corbett.
Training and teaching
He trained at London's award-winning puppet theatre the Little Angel Theatre, with which he maintained a long association, eventually teaching there. He also co-founded the London School of Puppetry with his partner Caroline Astell-Burt.
Tributes from the British Puppet Guild
In a statement, the British Puppet Guild said: "We are saddened to announce the death of our president and friend Ronnie Le Drew, following a short illness. Ronnie has been our president for 10 years, possibly the most active and supportive president we have ever had or will have. Attending nearly every event whether it be online or in person, often performing when asked and always willing to chat, tell stories and entertain in whatever way he could."
Family statement
Le Drew's son, John, wrote via his father's social media channels: "We're devastated to announce that dad passed away this morning, after a brief illness. We're all grieving and sorry for our loss of such a sweet beautiful man."
Rainbow and Zippy's legacy
The puppet duo of Zippy and George were initially voiced by Roy Skelton, who also voiced Doctor Who's Daleks between 1967 and 1988. Skelton died in 2011, aged 79, and contributed to the enduring popularity of brash, mouthy know-it-all orange Zippy and the rather more shy and retiring pink hippopotamus George. Rainbow launched in 1972 and was made by Thames Television continuously until 1992, with David Cook as the original presenter and Geoffrey Hayes taking over in 1974. A revival by Tetra Films from 1994 to 1997 featured Le Drew also performing as the voice of Zippy, as well as operating the puppet.
Rainbow's concept
Rainbow was conceived as a British equivalent of Sesame Street, with a group of friends exploring different educational topics together, often via conflict between Zippy, George, or Bungle the bear, which Hayes, who died in 2018, would reconcile.
Recent work
Le Drew was working until recently, having appeared on the YouTube channel My 70s TV Childhood to discuss his career and his job as Zippy, which he described as "a six-week contract that lasted 20 years."
