TV presenter Geoffrey Hayes, best known for his work on children’s show Rainbow, has died aged 76.

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In a statement to the Press Association, Hayes’ manager said: “It is with great sadness that the family announce that Geoffrey passed away in hospital with his wife, Sarah, and son, Tom, by his side.”

It continued: “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.

“There will be no further comment at the moment and it would be appreciated if the privacy of Geoffrey’s family is respected at this most difficult time.”

Hayes became a household name after starring in ITV’s Rainbow alongside puppet characters Zippy, George and Bungle from 1972 to 1997. Sharing similarities with US series Sesame Street, the show helped children with english and maths across 1,000 episodes

Hayes also had a recurring role in BBC1 drama series Z Cars in the early 1970s and appeared on programmes including Never Mind The Buzzcocks and Pointless Celebrities.

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His death has prompted a number of tributes posted on social media:

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Authors

Thomas LingDigital editor, BBC Science Focus

Thomas is Digital editor at BBC Science Focus. Writing about everything from cosmology to anthropology, he specialises in the latest psychology, health and neuroscience discoveries. Thomas has a Masters degree (distinction) in Magazine Journalism from the University of Sheffield and has written for Men’s Health, Vice and Radio Times. He has been shortlisted as the New Digital Talent of the Year at the national magazine Professional Publishers Association (PPA) awards. Also working in academia, Thomas has lectured on the topic of journalism to undergraduate and postgraduate students at The University of Sheffield.

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