Comedian Jimmy Cricket dies aged 80

comedyAug 3, 202623611

James Joseph Mulgrew, the Northern Irish comedian known as Jimmy Cricket, has died aged 80 after a short illness, his family said. The family said he spent his last days "surrounded by his family, love, laughter and songs" and that he kept "cracking jokes to the wonderful NHS staff and to us all, right until the end." Born in Cookstown, County Tyrone in 1945, Cricket left school at 16 and began performing as a Butlins Redcoat in the summer season of 1966, later working the comedy-club circuit and winning LWT's Search for a Star. He became a household name from the 1970s, went on to front his own ITV show and had a radio series on BBC Radio 2. Cricket was known for his catchphrases and a comic costume of a battered bowler hat, tails, rolled-up trousers and wellington boots marked R and L. Colleagues paid tribute: Northern Ireland comedian John Linehan called him "so nice and he was so humble," Tim Vine remembered his live song and dancing, and Ted Robbins described him as one of the last great comics with "a unique style, never blue just funny." The family noted Cricket was a Papal Knight and a man of faith who believed "death is not the end" and looked forward to eternity.

madeline odent

@oldenoughtosay.com

A lot of people today talking about an awful person who died but i want to make everyone aware of a good person who died: Northern Irish comedian Jimmy Cricket, who you should all look up if you don’t know. 10/10 all around wife guy, dad, granddad, and just a generally solid person

3542h ago

Roy Lonergan8

Lovely piece in the Irish Times. “Comedian Jimmy Cricket asked for the last rites twice, “almost like he asked for an encore”, before his death at the age of 80, his son, Fr Frankie Mulgrew, has said.” www.irishtimes.com/culture/2026...

Models Ex Inferis7

No! That's sad. I will forever remember the "L" and "R" on his Wellies... On the wrong feet! He was hilarious, always made me laugh! RIP Jimmy.

Rob 🏳️‍🌈6

Oh no! I’m sad about that one.

Julia5

Also Monty Roberts, the horse whisperer who brought a gentle way of working with horses to the world

Rachel2

Sad to hear this - I remember seeing him on UK variety shows back in the 80s

Marcus Hill1

Of a generation of comedians for whom punching down was the norm and who never did.

Talking Pictures TV

@talkingpicturestv.bsky.social

Sadly, there will be no ‘more’. We are heartbroken at TPTV to hear that we have lost another dear friend of the channel, Jimmy Cricket. A very lovely and funny man who kept audiences in stiches when he appeared on stage at our festivals. A true comedy legend. Thanks for all the laughs Jimmy.

712h ago

melody-fair.bsky.social1

RIP. A great friend to TPTV and a regular at your roadshows. www.independent.co.uk/arts-enterta...

mitchraf.bsky.social1

My work colleague told me he lived in his area in Rochdale and his daughter recently sang at their cricket club.

Quoting this

Graeme Swanson10

Like a lot of these old school comics I didn't like what they did or at least thought I didn't until I saw it live and you realised they were very very good at it. All the cliches of "working the room" and the timing that you can't get unless you've done it a thousand times were true.

dawse2

Met Jimmy after a local Christmas panto. Afterwards he mingled with the audience, had a lovely chat with my fam, posed for a pic and wrote us a Christmas card! Lovely fella. RIP.

Mike Cooper

@mikecooperrp.bsky.social

Sadly, there's no more. RIP Jimmy Cricket. Worth watching @herring1967.bsky.social's RHLSTP from a few years back. www.youtube.com/watch?v=GHAO...

243h ago

UKPRES

@ukpres1.bsky.social

Sorry to hear that welly wearing Irish comic Jimmy Cricket has died. He spent 4 years with Central ITV including this promo from 1986 for his One hour special RIP Jimmy

113h ago

Andrew Hickey

@andrewhickey.500songs.com

Anyway, very sad to see Jimmy Cricket died. He was by all accounts a nice person in his personal life, and he made millions of people laugh.

192h ago

Lee Hurley

@hleehurley.com

I've logged in twice today. First time, I saw Rod Liddle had died. Then Jimmy Cricket. I'm torn over this new found power.

151h ago

Lord Arse! 🕹️

@lordarse.com

Is it wrong to say that I didn't know he was still alive? RIP Jimmy Cricket! 80 years is a good innings.

Jimmy Cricket, who's died today aged 80.

142h ago

Binary Dinosaurs2

Funny bloke. If he was on a show on’t telly we’d always watch. RIP.

craigk328.bsky.social1

Saw him in my neck of the woods 3 years ago at sum Jubilee show!same, he had same act as he had on TV when I was 8!I was 43 wen I saw him then!! He was flogging dvds in the aisle, bless him

Twan1

I heard him a year or two ago on Richard Herring’s podcast and he was a good laugh

Matt Leys

@mattleys.bsky.social

Saw Jimmy Cricket in Edinburgh about 20 years ago. He was brilliant and shook every member of the audience by the hand at the end of the show

132h ago

Harry McNally

@harrymcnally.bsky.social

Jimmy Cricket and Rod Liddle on the same day . The ridiculous and the wife beating cunt . Or something like that ?

153h ago

British Comedy Guide

@britishcomedy.bsky.social

"He brought so much laughter and happiness to countless audiences". Comedian Jimmy Cricket has died aged 80. www.comedy.co.uk/people/news/...

53h ago

Steve Williams

@skillagesteve.bsky.social

Jimmy Cricket also responsible for the greatest ever This Is Your Life moment when he contrived to bump into his big surprise guest who he hadn't seen for thirty years when he was walking down the street the day before the show

72h ago

Roy Lonergan

@roylonergan.bsky.social

81h ago

🕹️ Davey Sloan 👾

@sloanysoft.itch.io

Damnit! I unironically loved Jimmy Cricket. Genuinely funny guy, I'd have loved to have told him about the wee tribute we had to him in our game. I'm sure he'd have been baffled to be fair.