Northern Ireland Mourns Jimmy Cricket, the Cookstown Comedian Who Made Britain Laugh for Five Decades
Jimmy Cricket, the beloved Northern Irish comedian whose catchphrase "And there's more!" and signature outfit — tailcoat, short trousers, and Wellington boots worn on the wrong feet — made him one of the most recognisable and warmly regarded figures in British entertainment for five decades, has died at the age of 80 following a short illness, with his son Father Frankie Mulgrew sharing that his father had asked for the last rites twice before he passed away, "almost like he asked for an encore."
Background
James Joseph Mulgrew was born on October 17, 1945, in Cookstown, County Tyrone, and spent his early years in Belfast before leaving school at 16 to seek his fortune in the entertainment industry. His stage name — Jimmy Cricket — was adopted early in his career and became so thoroughly identified with the man that many of his fans were unaware of his given name. He began his entertainment career in 1966 as a "Redcoat" at Butlins holiday camps, the traditional training ground for a generation of British comedians who learned their craft in front of demanding, mixed-age audiences who expected to be entertained regardless of the weather outside.
Cricket's comedy was rooted in a tradition of clean, family-friendly humour that drew on "Irish logic" — the gentle absurdism of a man who seemed perpetually surprised by the world's failure to conform to his expectations. His letters from his "Mammy," read aloud on stage and television, became a beloved feature of his act, combining warmth, nostalgia, and a gentle self-deprecation that audiences found irresistible. His iconic outfit — the tailcoat, the short trousers, the hat, and the Wellington boots worn on the wrong feet — was not merely a costume but a character statement, the visual embodiment of a man who approached life with cheerful eccentricity.
He gained widespread fame in the 1980s through his own television series, And There's More, and his radio show on BBC Radio 2, Jimmy's Cricket Team. He was a frequent presence on British television, appearing on The Krankies Klub, The Good Old Days, and the Royal Variety Performance, and his clean comedy made him a favourite with broadcasters and audiences who valued entertainment that the whole family could enjoy together.
Key Developments
Cricket died on August 3, 2026, surrounded by his family. He is survived by his wife, May, whom he married in 1972, and their four children and four grandchildren. Tributes from fellow entertainers poured in immediately, with Tim Vine and Ted Robbins among those who remembered him as a generous, humble, and legendary figure in British comedy. His son Father Frankie Mulgrew's description of his father asking for the last rites twice — "almost like he asked for an encore" — captured something essential about the man: even in his final hours, the comedian and the person were inseparable.
In 2015, Pope Francis awarded Cricket a papal knighthood — the Order of St Gregory the Great — in recognition of his extensive charity work, which included decades of fundraising for the Francis House Children's Hospice in Manchester. The honour was a reflection of the seriousness with which Cricket took his responsibilities beyond the stage, and of the genuine affection in which he was held by the communities he had served through his charitable activities.
Cricket had worked the Pontins circuit in the 1970s before breaking through to national television, and his career trajectory — from holiday camp entertainer to household name — was a testament to the value of the live performance circuit as a training ground for comedic talent. He never lost the connection to his audience that he had developed in those early years, and his live performances retained their warmth and energy well into his later career.
Why It Matters
Jimmy Cricket's death is the passing of a particular kind of entertainer — one who understood that comedy, at its best, is an act of generosity toward an audience, a gift of laughter freely given without condescension or cruelty. His comedy was never at anyone's expense; it was rooted in a shared recognition of the absurdity of everyday life and the comfort of laughing at it together. In an era when comedy has become increasingly edgy, confrontational, and divided along cultural and political lines, Cricket's approach — clean, warm, inclusive — represents a tradition that is worth remembering and celebrating. His Northern Irish identity was always present in his work, not as a political statement but as a source of character and colour, and his success in the British entertainment industry was a reminder that talent and warmth transcend geography and background.
Local Impact
In Cookstown, where Cricket was born, and in Belfast, where he grew up, the reaction to his death has been one of genuine sadness and affectionate remembrance. Local community groups and arts organisations have been sharing memories of his performances and his charity work, and there have been calls for a permanent memorial to his contribution to Northern Irish cultural life. The Francis House Children's Hospice in Manchester, which benefited enormously from Cricket's fundraising over the decades, has paid tribute to his generosity and his commitment to the charity's work. His family has indicated that a memorial service will be held in due course, at which his many friends and colleagues from the entertainment world will have the opportunity to pay their respects.
What's Next
Details of Jimmy Cricket's funeral arrangements are expected to be announced by his family in the coming days. The entertainment community has indicated that a celebration of his life and career will be organised in the months ahead, bringing together colleagues and friends from across his five decades in show business. The BBC and ITV are both expected to broadcast tribute programmes drawing on archive footage of his television appearances, introducing his work to a new generation of viewers who may not have encountered it before. His legacy — of clean, generous, family comedy rooted in the Northern Irish experience — will endure in the memories of the millions who laughed with him over the course of his remarkable career.
