Jimmy Cricket, beloved comedian, dies at 80
Jimmy Cricket, the comedian from Northern Ireland, passed away on Monday at the age of 80 following a brief illness. His son, Father Frankie Mulgrew, mentioned that his father 'saw the joy in everything' and requested last rites twice, humorously stating, 'because like a good comedian he wanted an encore.' Born James Joseph Mulgrew in 1945 in Cookstown, County Tyrone, Cricket started his career as a Redcoat at Butlins in 1966. He gained fame by winning LWT's Search for a Star and had his own ITV program along with a series on BBC Radio 2. Comedian Roy Walker described him as a 'sincere wee fella,' while Christopher Biggins referred to him as 'the nicest man I ever met,' highlighting his distinctive comedic approach. Cricket's goal was to 'inject as much joy and silliness into the world.'
Key facts
- Jimmy Cricket died on Monday at the age of 80 after a short illness.
- His son, Father Frankie Mulgrew, is a Catholic priest at Salford Cathedral.
- Cricket was born James Joseph Mulgrew in Cookstown, County Tyrone in 1945.
- He left school at 16 and started as a Redcoat at Butlins in 1966.
- He won LWT's Search for a Star talent contest and had his own TV show on ITV and a radio series on BBC Radio 2.
- Roy Walker described Cricket as a 'sincere wee fella' who 'loved everyone and everyone loved him'.
- Christopher Biggins said Cricket was 'the nicest man I ever met' and credited him with making wellington boots trendy.
- Cricket's son said his father 'saw the joy in everything, right up until his death'.
Entities
Artists
- Jimmy Cricket
- Father Frankie Mulgrew
- Roy Walker
- Christopher Biggins
- Ken Dodd
- John Linehan
- Tim Vine
- Ted Robbins
- Cannon and Ball
- The Krankies
- Frank Carson
- Paul Daniels
Institutions
- Salford Cathedral
- Butlins
- LWT
- ITV
- BBC Radio 2
- Good Morning Ulster
- BBC
- BBC Radio 4 Extra
Locations
- Cookstown
- County Tyrone
- Northern Ireland
- Greater Manchester
- United Kingdom
- Belfast
- Blackpool