Jimmy Cricket

Jimmy Cricket

Jimmy Cricket is the stage name of James Mulgrew, a Northern Irish comedian born in Cookstown, Northern Ireland. He has been active from 1945 onward. He leaves school at 16 and works for two years in a betting shop before beginning a long career in holiday camp entertainment.

Early career

In the summer of 1966, Cricket works as a Red Coat at Butlins Holiday camp at Mosney in County Meath. He spends the next two summers at the Butlins Holiday Camp in Clacton. By the early 1970s, he lives in Manchester. From 1972, he works at the Pontins holiday camps in Southport and Morecambe. In 2006, he returns to Clacton-on-Sea to star in the eight-week summer show Summer Special at the West Cliff Theatre.

Television and radio

Cricket has his own television series on Central Television, And There's More, which includes the first TV appearance by Rory Bremner. He also has his own radio series on BBC Radio 2. He appears in The Krankies Klub alongside The Krankies and Bobby Davro, and he appears on the Royal Variety Show in 1984. He also appears with Matt Lucas and Peter Kay in the Comic Relief video for the Proclaimers song “I Would Walk 500 Miles”.

Style and persona

His comedy is clean and often centres on Irish logic and letters from his “Mammy”. He is known for his trademark costume of cut-off evening trousers, a tuxedo, a hat given to him by the BBC for The Good Old Days, and wellies marked “L” and “R” for left and right, worn on the wrong feet. His catchphrases include “come 'ere” and “...and there's more.”