The world was in mourning today after it was announced popular character Chewbacca had died.

The huge brown hairy beast was a mainstay throughout the many editions of Rainbow, which was loved by children across the world from the 1970s.

Tributes were flooding in today from his many close friends, including George and Zippy.

Suffolk television critic Lorraine Fisher, 34, said: “Chewbacca was a popular character. Everyone loved his brown hairy face.

“The small screen won’t be the same without him.”

Sadly, Chewbacca died just days before May the fourth, so he won’t be using that joke again.