ONE of the last surviving chimp stars of the PG Tips adverts has died aged 48, it was announced on Thursday.
Choppers, who played Ada in the iconic TV commercials, had been showing signs of heart and liver failure.
The beloved female chimp was put to sleep at Twycross Zoo in Leicestershire on Wednesday (20/4) surrounded by her keepers.
Her death comes three years after her TV partner and lifelong pal Louis, who played Mr Shifter, died aged 37.
Dr Charlotte Macdonald, director of life sciences at the zoo, said: “Choppers was known for her gentle nature and loved grooming other chimps and interacting with her keepers, whom she was always excited to see.
“She was a much-loved member of the chimpanzee group and she will be sadly missed by all staff at the zoo, as well as her numerous fans.
“Choppers recently became very ill, showing signs of heart and liver failure, and despite the best efforts of the zoo’s veterinary team, her health declined and the difficult decision to put her sleep was made on Wednesday.”
In her final years, Choppers was left traumatised by her spell in the limelight and had to endure a spell in simian rehab to help her mix with other chimps.
Yesterday fans of the beloved chimps paid tribute to her.
Jenny Williams wrote on Facebook: “Can’t believe Choppers has gone. For all those kids of the 70s and 80s who grew up with the PG Tips ads, we should all raise a cup to her tonight.”
Paul Clough added: “RIP Choppers, enjoy your cuppa in heaven with the rest of the Tipps family.”
The PG Tips TV adverts, featuring the Tipps family, first aired in 1956 and were a huge hit for the brand.
By 1958, PG Tips had risen from fourth place in the British tea market to first.
Much-loved Choppers starred in arguably the most famous commercial in 1971, where two chimps playing father and son removal men accidentally dropped a piano down a flight of stairs.
Choppers shot to fame as the grey-haired old lady wearing a frilly pink pinny offering cuppas to the bumbling piano movers.
The ads were stopped in 1970 after complaints from animal rights groups but returned 18 months later.
They were finally taken off air in 2003 and replaced by the cuddly puppet called Monkey who stars alongside comedian Johnny Vegas.
Choppers first came to attention of zoo keepers at Twycross after she was rescued from poachers in Liberia by a British couple.
Chimps were trained at Twycross for TV appearances and were often dressed up in clothes and lip-synced with the voices of actors such as Peter Sellers and Bob Monkhouse.
They also appeared in children’s shows Tiswas and Blue Peter and were notorious for their messy tea parties.
After 30 years the zoo ended its agreement for its apes to be used in advertising but chimpanzees from abroad still appeared in tea adverts until 2003.
Last January, Choppers returned to the screens when she appeared in a Channel 5 documentary charting the story of the lives of the original PG Tips chimps.
In February this year two TV-trained chimps Kip, 39, and Jolly, 32, died after reportedly roasting to death in their cages when a fault with the heating system sent temperatures soaring to 50C.
No press release was issued regarding the deaths but the zoo insisted there was any cover-up.
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