Roy Skelton has died.

[Starkers]

Although perhaps best known in the UK as the voice of Zippy and George in Rainbow, he also helped voice the Daleks, Cybermen and Krotons.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-13693811

Actor and singer Roy Skelton, best known for voicing puppets George and Zippy in the popular children's programme Rainbow, has died aged 79.
His daughter Samantha Skelton told the BBC that her father passed away at his Brighton home after suffering a stroke.
The actor joined Rainbow in the early 1970s and remained with the show until it ended in 1992.
Geoffrey Hayes, who also starred in the show, said: "He really brought Zippy and George to life through his voice."
Skelton was "fabulous at improvising if something went wrong," he added.
"The most wonderful thing was if Zippy and George were having an argument between themselves, it sounded like he'd double-tracked it as they seemed to be talking over each other. It was a wonderful technique and I don't know how he did it.
"Although he was known for Zippy and George he was actually a fabulous actor with a great singing voice and a wonderful raconteur - he used to tell us some wonderful stories."
Skelton also voiced the Daleks in Doctor Who from 1967 to 1988, as well as the Cybermen and the Krotons.
In 2002, he guest-starred in the audio drama Sarah Jane Smith: Test Of Nerve.
He reprised the role of Zippy in 2008 for the BBC One series Ashes to

 

[Steve67]

He was wildly entertaining on the Genesis of the Daleks documentary. I'm not sure Nicholas Briggs was a fan, as the only thing he could muster was "Roy Skelton voiced the Daleks with a raspy voice."

 

[starsuperion]

Roy skelton's voice will forever be engrained in my mind as the characters he played in Doctor Who.

 

[The Squire of Gothos]

A shame to hear that. For some reason as a kid, I was as interested, if not more interested in who voiced the Daleks and other creatures than played the humanoid extras. The name Skelton stuck in mind from way back then.

 

[The Nth Doctor]

Wow, this is a major loss to Whodom. You will be missed, Roy. Rest in peace.

 

[Shatnertage]

My condolences to his family--a talented guy who contributed a great deal to us fans over the years.

 

[Candlelight]

For me, he was THE voice of the Daleks. Briggs is doing a good job but Skelton will always be the Daleks for me.

 

[Mark_Nguyen]

My vision is impaired. With a tear.

Loved his voices in classic Who. He will be missed.

Mark

 

[starsuperion]

Roy's Last most recent work involving the Doctor whoniverse..

In 2002, he guest-starred in Sarah Jane Smith: Test Of Nerve, an audio drama produced by Big Finish Productions

 

[The Wormhole]

Am I misremembering, or didn't he also voice Jo Grant's invisible alien friend (whose race was enslaved by the Daleks) in Planet of the Daleks?

RIP

 

[Sindatur]

I remember seeing the name in the credits of Classic Eps, I'll have to pay closer attention and commit his roles to memory, so I can properly appreciate his work.

Sad to see another contributor to the history of the Whoniverse Pass Beyond the Rim.

 

[Candlelight]

His first work was in The Ark, during Hartnell's third season in 1966, where he played the voice of the Monoids.

Then he was the first Cybermen voices in The Tenth Planet (also 1966), and finally started playing Daleks from The Evil of the Daleks in 1967.

 

[Cutter John]

Very sad.

 

[Zulu Romeo]

Oh no. Sad to hear of Roy's passing.

 

[arch101]

He was wildly entertaining on the Genesis of the Daleks documentary. "

That was the first thing I thought of when I read that he died. Every fan should see that snippet. He was really great.

 

[Solariabsg25]

By a strange twist of fate, the day I learned of his death, my DVDs of 'Genesis of the Daleks' and 'Destiny of the Daleks' turned up.

It was awesome to see Skelton could almost do the voice without any electronic enhancement.

I think the saddest thing is though we seem to be reaching a point where Who Legends are starting to leave us.

 

[Steve67]

I think the saddest thing is though we seem to be reaching a point where Who Legends are starting to leave us.

This is something I've been acutely aware of with many 1960s and '70s figures. I grew up with the likes of Skelton's Daleks, but this feeling extends to the deaths of Deforest Kelley (gone 12 years yesterday), Jimmy Doohan, James Coburn, Susannah York, and essentially any figure from a time period I thought would never die. People like these are indelibly linked to my youth, and to learn of their demise is something like a part of one's past dying, too. It sounds like so many platitudes, but it doesn't make it any less true.

 

[The Wormhole]

I think the saddest thing is though we seem to be reaching a point where Who Legends are starting to leave us.

This has definately been a bad year for Doctor Who alumni.

 

[Davros]

For me, he was THE voice of the Daleks. Briggs is doing a good job but Skelton will always be the Daleks for me.

Me too