TRIBUTES have been paid to the talented creator of a popular local TV news character Gus Honeybun.

The beloved puppet rabbit famously marked viewers’ birthdays by hopping for each year of their age live on screen.

Anthony Smith (or Tony) died last week, his family announced. He worked for Westward TV (the first independent TV station in the SW) and then TSW where he became head of presentation and was an award-winning programme maker.

Outside television, Tony, of Tavistock, was chairman of the town’s Probus, he also played the flugal horn in the Stannary Brass Band and saxophone for the Raymon Hale singers. Tony had always been interested in films and stage lighting, so he was excited to join Alpha Television in Birmingham in 1959 as an engineer. In 1961 he moved to Plympton to be part of the new and exciting Westward Television. Tony operated the new video tape machine, but was soon promoted to work in ‘control’ where the programmes, adverts and announcer slots are brought together before being broadcast. 

Gus was ‘born’ because there were not enough local adverts between programmes. Tony had seen successful characters on other stations, so he and colleague David Sunderland devised a ‘rabbit’ to read out birthdays. Gus was named after Guz, the slang name for Plymouth, while Honeybun was from the South Pacific film song title. Westward lost the franchise to TSW in 1981, but Tony and Gus continued. Tony moved into directing, winning an award for a children’s programme. In 1989, Tony became TSW head of presentation and re-united with Gus who bunny-hopped, winked, waggle his ears, pressed the ‘Magic button’ and turned out the lights for birthday messages. In 1992, Tony retired from TV, proud of what he and Gus achieved. He was married for 62 years to Varina, who died in 2020. He leaves children Paul, Julie, Jonathan and Helen.

Tony had a friendly style and dry sense of humour. His children said it was exciting to visit the studios. Helen said: “We were encouraged to experience life behind the camera, help Tony choose the next presenter to read the weather and we could be with Gus. I enjoyed work experience in the make-up department, taking part in The Saturday Show, dancing to Michael Jackson thriller and Jonathan helped to pilot test Treasures of the Mindlo