Geoffrey Hayes of Rainbow dies at the age of 76

Geoffrey Hayes, who hosted the long-running Rainbow children's television show, died at the age of 76.

The actor and presenter died at the hospital surrounded by his family, according to his director.

In a statement, Phil Dale said: "It is with great sadness that the family announces that Geoffrey has died at the hospital with his wife, Sarah, and his son, Tom, by his side."

Hayes introduced Rainbow to ITV between 1974 and 1992.

Dale added, "The family would like to express their thanks to the many fans over the years, as it has always pleased Geoffrey to know that he and his Rainbow team have had so much fun watching TV and theater."

The preschool show featured Zippy, George and Bungle puppet characters, who lived in the Rainbow House – and ran for more than 1,000 episodes.

The programs featured musical interludes from the Rod, Jane and Freddy trio, as well as animations and stories read in the famous Rainbow Storybook.

Hayes has also had a successful acting career, playing the role of Detective Constable Scatliff in the BBC TV series Z Cars.

Many have posted their tributes and shared memories of Hayes on Twitter.

After Rainbow, Hayes said he was "frustrated" at not finding more acting because "the directors could only think of me as Rainbow's Geoffrey".

He has appeared in pantomimes and board games presentations, including an episode of Never Mind the Buzzcocks in 2002 and Pointless Celebrities in 2015.

In an interview with the Express in 2015, Hayes stated that he had spent four months working at night, doing shelving in a local supermarket and that he had also been working as taxi driver. Monster Munch.

In the interview, Hayes fondly remembers Rainbow: "I'm very proud of Rainbow and even now, more than 20 years after its end in 1993, people remember it with affection. Surprisingly, I am always recognized. and thank me for being an important part of their childhood – it's humiliating. "

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