Dark truth behind Rainbow, how iconic kids’ show was plagued by controversy from banned ‘adult’ episode to love triangle

IT was the beloved British children’s show that ran from 1972 to 1992 – but there was a dark side behind Rainbow. Conceived as Britain’s answer to Sesame Street, many will recall the popular characters of Zippy, Bungle and George, who guided pre-school kids through social and language skills. Rainbow ran for 27 series and 1,071 episodes after its launch in October 1972 Credit: Rex Zippy’s handler Ronnie Le Drew, who passed away on Monday, wrote a book called Zippy And Me, revealing what really went on when the puppets were off-camera Credit: Shutterstock Editorial The show took place in a colourful house where a patient human presenter lived alongside the three puppet-like characters who acted like relatable, squabbling siblings. While it had a successful run of over 1,000 episodes, Zippy’s puppeteer Ronnie Le Drew – who passed away on Monday aged 78 – unveiled explosive secrets of the show before his death. Sign up for the Showbiz newsletter Thank you! In his 2019 autobiography Zippy and Me: My Life Inside Britain’s Most Infamous Puppet, he alleged there was sexism on set, a heavy drinking culture, and puppeteers kept camera crew entertained with smutty innuendos and sexual stunts. LOVE TRIANGLE He also shared the wild antics of the show’s star singer, Jane Tucker, who wed both her co-stars Rod Burton and later Freddy Marks. Ronnie claimed that Jane would open her coat to reveal a “leather S&M outfit” and would ask Zippy to “play with her maracas”, which earned her the nickname “Miss Whiplash.” Jane tied the knot with Rod in 1976, but divorced him in 1979 and married Freddy in 2016. All three repeatedly stated there was no overlap in their relationships, and no bad blood between them, with the trio remaining friends and colleagues before Freddy died in 2021. Meanwhile, the autobiography also claimed that props man Sid would often make inappropriate comments about director Pamela Lonsdale. Most read in Fabulous Ronnie alleged that Sid told her she had a “nice pair of Bristols” and called her “T*tsalina.” Jane Tucker married both her co-stars Rod Burton, left, and later Freddy Marks, right Credit: Rex Ronnie says Rod, Jane and Freddy enjoyed ‘getting lashed’ with host Geoffrey when filming wrapped Credit: Rex Features ON-SET INNUENDOS The Rainbow cast also make crude jokes through the puppets and put them in raunchy positions or scenarios. Ronnie revealed: “Several times during rehearsals Zippy smuggled a large carrot under the covers that poked up at opportune moments, and he also became very prone to masturbating. “George would be reprimanded by Bungle for wetting the bed or leaving skid marks on the sheets, and when Geoffrey spoke straight to the camera, George and Zippy would often start humping in the background.” When an archbishop was given a tour of Thames TV studios, he allegedly stumbled upon “Zippy mounted upon George, going at it hammer and tongs”. CREW ANTICS Alongside the cast getting “lashed” and turning up drunk to rehearsals, there was also rivalry in the group, particularly with host Geoffrey Hayes. The star, who anchored the show for nearly two decades, was said to be upset puppets Zippy, Bungle and George got sent more fan mail than him. Ronnie claimed: “Geoffrey was afraid of being upstaged by Zippy and George.” When the show was abruptly canceled by ITV in 1992, he faced financial difficulties, and in the late 1990s it was revealed he was working as a night-shift supermarket shelf-stacker and taxi driver. The former show host appeared to look back at his time on the show fondly, and told BBC in 2002 that starring on Rainbow was the “20 happiest years of my life.” He later passed away in 2018 after a battle with pneumonia. Years after the show aired, Rainbow hit headlines in 2015 after a pastor accused the show of “containing hidden messages to homosexualise all children.” Pastor Daniel Erickson-Hull said the opening credits contained hidden messages, including one of homosexuality infiltrating the bible. Rainbow’s singing trio Rod, Jane and Freddy even got in on the act with Jane, above with Bungle, dressing up in S&M gear to sing a song Credit: Rex Features Ronnie revealed Zippy would often smuggle a large carrot to bed and ‘became very prone to masturbating’ Credit: Rex Features ‘TWANGERS’ BANNED EPISODE Then there was also the drama of a banned adult episode of the show, which was never intended for broadcast. In 1979, the cast and crew recorded a brief gag video specifically for the Thames Television staff Christmas tape, which contained bloopers and innuendo for internal holiday parties. The characters (Geoffrey, Zippy, George, Bungle, and musicians Rod, Jane, and Freddy) engaged in relentless double entendres centred around “playing with twangers,” “plucking,” and “bouncing balls”. Ronnie shared: “We never dreamt in a million years that the Christmas tape would ever see the light of day outside the studio. “It was just a silly joke for the Thames Television staff party. “Decades later, seeing it go viral on the internet was surreal – people genuinely thought we’d accidentally broadcast it on a Tuesday afternoon!” Comment now