Comedian Jimmy Cricket dies aged 80

Comedian Jimmy Cricket has died aged 80 after a short illness, his family said.

In a statement posted to social media they said Cricket spent his last few days surrounded by his family, love, laughter and songs.

“Forever our clown, he was cracking jokes to the wonderful NHS staff and to us all, right until the end. His courage, dignity and positivity through all he endured was inspirational,” they added.

The comedian, who was from Northern Ireland but later moved to Greater Manchester, became a household name in the 1970s.

Cricket was born as James Joseph Mulgrew in Cookstown, County Tyrone in 1945.

He left school at 16 and started the summer season of 1966 as a Redcoat for Butlins.

He worked the comedy club scene in the 1970s and 1980s, going on to win LWT’s Search for a Star talent contest.

He eventually got his own TV show on ITV and a radio series on BBC Radio 2.

Cricket’s family said he had been a “force for joy” and the world was a “far less sillier place today”.

“We were going to end by using his famous catchphrase and say: ‘There’s no More’.

“But Jimmy was a man of great faith and a Papal Knight of the Catholic Church.

“He believed that death is not the end and was looking forward to eternity, so really… And there’s more.”

Cricket was known for his catchphrases and an onstage outfit comprised of a battered bowler hat, tails, rolled up trousers and wellington boots with R and L on the front.

Northern Ireland comedian John Linehan, known for his pantomime dame character May McFettridge, said Cricket was “so nice and he was so humble”.

“He was so funny… he was just a star, he was just so modest, just so simple in what he did and everybody loved him,” he told BBC News NI.

Comedian Tim Vine has also paid tribute on X, describing him as a “lovely, inspiring, funny man”.

“I have a great memory being at his home and he said: ‘Do you want to hear my new song?’ I said: ‘Of course’.

“He then sang it to me live while dancing about in front of me. I thought: ‘I hope I’m like this when I’m older.'”

The actor and comedian Ted Robbins said Cricket was one of the last great comics with a “unique style” who was “never blue, just funny”.

“I know he and all his family have a great Christian faith so maybe The Angels will be saying ‘Come here Jimmy – there’s more’!”

For more than a decade of his later life, Cricket was a resident comedian at the Lyndene Hotel in Blackpool.

Staff from the hotel paid a warm tribute to him on social media.

“It’s with deep sadness, that we hear of the passing of our very good friend and true Lyndene legend Jimmy Cricket,” they said.

“Jimmy has entertained our Lyndene guest’s for over 10 years.

“He will be sadly missed by us all.”

Speaking to BBC Radio 4 Extra’s The Comedy Club in March 2024, Cricket spoke about his journey into comedy.

He said his family moved to Belfast when he was two years old.

“There was still trams then, would you believe, I took the tram to school.”

He said that he was always a comedian, even back then.

Variety shows in Belfast inspired him to take it up as a career.

“You could pay a shilling… and sit in the gallery and look down on these amazing performers and that’s where I caught the bug.”