Zippy | |
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Rainbow character | |
First appearance | 1972 |
Portrayed by | Violet Philpott (puppeteer, 1972) John Thirtle (puppeteer, 1973) Ronnie Le Drew (puppeteer, 1973–present) |
Voiced by | Peter Hawkins (1972) Roy Skelton (1973–92, 2005–11) Ronnie Le Drew (1994–present) |
“ | Zippy was going to be blue before I begged the producers to make him tangerine. One of the most common questions I'm asked is 'What in God's name is Zippy meant to be?' You have me, a big bear, and a pink hippo and then there's Zippy. I don't think anyone has a clue what he's meant to be, but I do know why he's tangerine. It's because – like me – he's a Dundee United fan. I lived in Dundee for much of the 60s and even came back a few times in the 70s. I had very happy times there and my fondest memories are of going to Tannadice Park one week and Dens Park the next. I became a United fan. They were languishing in the Second Division in those days, playing teams like Brechin and Alloa. Dundee were the strong successful team at the time, but we thought United played the more attractive football. Because of that I was determined Zippy was not going to be blue. | ” |