Rainbow host Geoffrey Hayes dies aged 76
Presenter of long-running children’s show and actor in Z Cars dies in hospital
Remembering the strong and silent star of Rainbow, writes Stuart Jeffries
Matthew Weaver
Geoffrey Hayes, the relentlessly cheery adult in the room in the
long-running children’s TV show Rainbow, has died at the age of 76.
Hayes was known for maintaining a smiley order over the puppets on the
popular ITV show while dressed in lurid outfits such as floral shirts or
yellow dungarees for more than 1,000 episodes between 1974 and 1992.
Hayes was surrounded by his family when he died in hospital from
pneumonia, according to his agent, Phil Dale. “Geoffrey passed away in
hospital with his wife, Sarah, and son, Tom, by his side,” Dale said.
“The family would like to express their thanks to the many fans over the
years, as it always gave Geoffrey so much pleasure to know that he and
his Rainbow team had given so much fun to TV and theatre audiences over
the years.
The pre-school show was seen as a British answer to the US children’s
hit show Sesame Street, but on a much cheaper budget. It featured three
other characters: Bungle, a boyish teddybear played by various actors in
a bear suit, and two puppets – George, a slow-witted pink hippo, and
Zippy, a know-it-all yellow felt robot with a grating voice.
Hayes presided with a gleeful enthusiasm and occasional flash of
exasperation. Hayes’ threat to silence Zippy by fastening up his mouth
was the one element of suspense on the show.
He said the secret to the programme’s popularity was that it was full of
“magic, innocence and imagination”. He added: “Practically all the time
people come up to me and it really breaks me up because they thank me
for being part of their childhood. It makes me want to cry sometimes.”
Hayes did have other acting roles, including stint as DC Scatliff in the
BBC series Z Cars. But after Rainbow he struggled to find work and
complained of being typecast as the Rainbow presenter.
“Directors could only think of me as Rainbow’s Geoffrey”, he told the
Daily Express. He even spent time stacking shelves at a Sainsbury
supermarket.
Later he embraced his association with Rainbow by appearing in a
nostalgic stage version of the programme at the Edinburgh festival.
He also appeared in pantomimes and TV gameshows including an episode of
Never Mind the Buzzcocks in 2002 and Pointless Celebrities in 2015. He
joked that the one good thing to come out of the cancellation of the
Rainbow was earning “loads of money as an ironic postmodern icon”.
Ronnie Le Drew, the actor who played Zippy, said “We’ll all miss him
terribly”. Speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live he added: “He was really kind to
everybody and always charming.”
Tributes to Hayes reflected the affection for the show from those who
grew up in the 1970s and 80s. His death comes just four days after that
of John Cunliffe, the creator of another children’s TV favourite Postman
Pat.
“Another part of the 1980s childhood has gone,” tweeted the former Labour MP Tom Blenkinsop.
Broadcaster Tony Shepherd tweeted the same sentiments.
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