Ronnie Le Drew death: Puppeteer behind Rainbow character Zippy dies, aged 79

Ronnie Le Drew, the man behind ‘Rainbow’s Zippy, has died, aged 79 - (Tom Dymond/Channel 4/Shutterstock)

Ronnie Le Drew, the TV presenter and puppeteer behind classic Rainbow character Zippy, has died, aged 78.

Candian-British star Le Drew was one of the squawking voices that brought the divisive Zippy to life in the beloved ITV series, alongside Roy Skelton, who died in 2011. Rainbow was the UK’s answer to the American educational series Sesame Street.