Choppers, The Last Original PG Tips Chimps, Dies

The last of the original chimps from the old PG Tips adverts has sadly passed away at the age of 48.

Choppers, who lived at Twycross Zoo, played Ada in the classic ads which were popular on TV in the 1970s and 1980s.

A spokesman for the Leicestershire zoo said Choppers, a ‘much-loved’ chimp, had been put to sleep on Wednesday after showing signs of heart and liver failure.

‘Choppers was known for her gentle nature and loved grooming other chimps and interacting with her keepers, whom she was always excited to see,’ he said.

‘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 friends.’

She shared an enclosure with Louis, who played Mr Shifter in the ads, until he died in 2013.

The zoo ended its agreement with the tea brand after around 30 years, but chimps from abroad continued to be used in the ads until 2003.