Comedian Jimmy Cricket has died aged 80 following a short illness.
The Northern Irish stand-up comedian, born James Mulgrew, passed away on Monday morning after spending the last few days “surrounded by his family, love, laughter and songs”, a statement from his family said.
Posting on his social media pages, the statement read: “Jimmy brought so much laughter and happiness to countless audiences in his career over the years.
“Whether on stage, screen or radio, or if you met him in person as well. But that was nothing to the happiness he gave to his family.
“A devoted husband to May for fifty two years. A wonderful dad to his four children and very silly grandad indeed to his four grandchildren.”
Jimmy Cricket was a well-known figure from TV variety shows in the 1980s – here he is pictured with Ernie Wise and Norman Wisdom in 1989 (Mike Stephens/PA)
The statement praised Cricket for being the family’s “greatest champion” adding that he “loved us all loudly”.
It continued: “He also just loved people and he absolutely loved being a stand-up comedian. What a life he lived.
“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. A force for joy, we are just all very sad that the world is a far less sillier place today.”
The Cookstown-born comic previously posted on his website that he was taking a “little sabbatical for health reasons” and had started treatment. It added, however, that he would “catch up” with fans at string of shows in autumn 2026.
Cricket left school at 16 and spent his summers working as Redcoat camp host at Butlins holiday camps.
He went on to work the comedy club scene throughout the 1970s and 1980s, going on to win LWT’s Search for a Star talent contest before getting his own ITV show, And There’s More, which ran for four seasons.
He later fronted his own programme on BBC Radio 2 before appearing on the Royal Variety Show in the 80s and performing in a number of pantomimes.