Ronnie Le Drew: key obituary facts
Is Ronnie Le Drew dead? Yes. Ronnie Le Drew died on July 27, 2026, at age 78.
Cause of death: Ronnie Le Drew's cause of death has not been publicly confirmed.
What was Ronnie Le Drew known for?
He was a Canadian puppeteer.
More about Ronnie Le Drew
Born: October 1947.
Place of birth: Toronto.
Gender: male.
Occupation: marionetteist.
Nationality: United Kingdom.
Notable work: Zippy.
Occupations: Puppeteer, actor.
Ronnie Le Drew, the Canadian-born British puppeteer best known for performing Zippy on the ITV children’s series Rainbow, died on July 27, 2026.
Born in Toronto on October 23, 1947, he trained at London’s Little Angel Theatre under John Wright and went on to work there for more than three decades, first as a performer and later as a director. His career also included theatre and television work beyond Rainbow, and he remained closely associated with puppetry in Britain throughout his life.