Jimmy Cricket: Life and Career of the Northern Irish Comedian

James Joseph Mulgrew (17 October 1945 – 3 August 2026), better known by his stage name Jimmy Cricket, was a prominent Northern Irish comedian, writer, and radio and television personality. Renowned for his distinct slapstick style, family-friendly clean humor, and catchphrases such as "and there's more", Cricket maintained a decades-long career entertaining audiences across the United Kingdom and Ireland.

Early Life

Cricket was born James Joseph Mulgrew on 17 October 1945 in Cookstown, County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. He was the youngest of six children born to Frank and Philomena Mulgrew. His father worked various jobs, including as an undertaker, publican, taxi driver, and part-time auctioneer, before passing away in 1953. Following his father's death, Philomena raised the family by taking on multiple jobs, including working at a local Lucozade factory. Cricket spent his upbringing in Belfast and completed his education at St Patrick's College before leaving school at the age of fifteen.

Stage Persona and Style

Cricket's comedy was distinguished by its entirely clean content, observational routines, and gentle physical humor. A recurring motif in his acts was the use of humorous letters purportedly from his mother, exploring themes of traditional Irish logic. His visual presentation was instantly recognizable: he wore cut-off evening trousers, an evening tailcoat, a hat given to him by the BBC for The Good Old Days, and a pair of Wellington boots marked with an "L" for left and an "R" for right, worn on the wrong feet. He frequently engaged audiences with catchphrases including "and there's more" and his introductory greeting, "c'mere."

Career Development and Television Success

After leaving school, Cricket worked various casual jobs, such as supermarket deliveries, manual labor, and working as a cashier in a betting shop. During this period, he performed in local talent shows, doing comic dances and miming pop songs. In 1966, he worked as a Redcoat at the Butlins holiday camp in Mosney, County Meath, which marked the beginning of a ten-year stint working seasonal entertainment jobs across Butlin's and Pontins holiday camps.

He adopted the stage name "Jimmy Cricket" in reference to the Walt Disney character Jiminy Cricket from Pinocchio. His major television breakthrough arrived in 1980 when he finished as runner-up on London Weekend Television's talent program Search for a Star. This success led to prominent television appearances on variety shows such as The Good Old Days and Crackerjack!.

By 1985, Central Television gave Cricket his own television series titled And There's More, named after his signature catchphrase, which ran for four series. He also established a presence on radio, hosting a BBC Radio 2 series called Jimmy's Cricket Team, written by Eddie Braben. Throughout his career, he performed in numerous royal variety shows, toured alongside legacy acts like The Osmonds and Cannon and Ball, and continued performing into his later years.

Honours and Personal Life

In 1972, while working at a Pontins holiday camp in Morecambe, Cricket met May Tweedie, a waitress and singer. The couple married in 1974 and raised four children together.

In recognition of his extensive charity work, Pope Francis awarded Cricket a papal knighthood in the Order of St. Gregory the Great on 18 September 2015.

Death and Tributes

Cricket died following a short illness on 3 August 2026 at the age of 80. Following his passing, fellow entertainers and public figures paid tribute to his warmth, generosity, and longevity in the entertainment industry. Comedian William Caulfield described him as exceptionally generous, while Ted Robbins praised him as one of the last great traditional variety comics.