Puppeteer Ronnie Le Drew behind voice of Zippy from Rainbow dies aged 78

Ronnie Le Drew, one of the puppeteers from iconic children's TV show Rainbow, has passed away at the age of 78.

News of Le Drew's death was confirmed by the British Puppet Guild, who revealed the puppeteer had died after a short illness.

"We are saddened to announce the death of our President and friend Ronnie Le Drew, following a short illness," the statement began.

"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."

Le Drew is best known for bringing the character Zippy to life in children's educational TV series Rainbow, which ran from 1972 until 1997.

(British Puppet Guild)

The puppeteer worked alongside Roy Skelton, one of the other voices for Zippy, on the iconic character, who was known for misbehaving and subsequently having his mouth 'zipped'.

"We got so much more money than a puppeteer could ever have dreamed of," Le Drew said of his work as Zippy during a 2015 interview with The Guardian. He later released an autobiography of his time in control of the famous character, titled Zippy and Me: My Life Inside Britain’s Most Infamous Puppet, in 2019.

Outside of his work on the series, Le Drew worked on films such as Labyrinth, starring David Bowie, Little Shop of Horrors, The Muppet Christmas Carol, Muppet Treasure Island and Beauty and the Beast.

More recently, Le Drew featured in A Quiet Place: Day One as the marionette puppeteer Marvin Monroe.

He also worked on ITV's The Sooty Show, as the character Sweep, as well as appearing as a background character in Netflix's The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance in 2019.

He was also heavily involved with London's Little Angel Theatre for over 30 years, working as a performer and later as a director.

Le Drew was best known for brining the character Zippy to life (Channel 4)

Going on to pay tribute to Le Drew's work outside of Rainbow, the statement continued: "Ronnie was, of course, known for Zippy, but his legacy in the puppetry world stretches far more than that, and there will be countless puppeteers mourning the loss of our dear friend.

"He meant so much to so many, and the legacy of his life will live on."

Le Drew had been scheduled to attend several events later this year, with promoters Creed Conventions and Abbey Con since issuing tributes to her puppeteer.

"We are deeply saddened to hear of the passing of our friend and client, Ronnie Le Drew," read a statement from Creed Conventions.

"Ronnie was a true gentleman, immensely proud of his work, and a real delight to work with. It was always a pleasure to spend time with him, and he brought joy to generations.

"Our thoughts are with his family & friends."

"We are deeply saddened to announce the loss of a dear friend and supporter of our events, Ronnie Le Drew," added Trooper Events UK, which runs Abbey Con.