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rory bremner

Video of first TV appearance is very popular on social media 150 150 mhamer

Video of first TV appearance is very popular on social media
Jimmy Cricket's first appearance on television
Video footage has appeared on Facebook showing Jimmy Cricket’s first performance on television.
The clip, originally posted by Mike Fox (Man Fom Belfast) on TikTok, shows Jimmy’s near four-minute comedy act.

Belfast-born Jimmy won ITV’s television talent contest Search For A Star at the beginning of the 1980s.

He earned his own television show called And There’s More, which was broadcast over four series between 1985 and 1988.

The show included the first TV appearance by the impressionist Rory Bremner.

Jimmy also appeared in a television special broadcast on ITV called All Cricket and Wellie.

By now, Jimmy was a household name and the subject of Eamonn Andrews’, programme, This Is Your Life, which aired in September 1987.

He also had his own comedy series on BBC Radio 2 during the 1990s called Jimmy’s Cricket Team’.

In addition to his own TV show, Jimmy made numerous other television appearances, including featuring on both the ‘Royal Variety Performance’ and the children’s equivalent.

He appeared regularly on BBC TVs long-running show ‘The Good Old Days’.

The video of his first TV appearance has attracted thousands of likes and hundreds of comments across both Facebook and TikTok.

Comments include: 
Brenda JonesModern Love The green bolded text says "Love This". "i" in the "This" is emphasized with a pink heart. sticker

Garry Williams Class act.

Steve Massey Brilliant 👏 ❤️

Mark Pearce A lovely man, appeared in a Charity Concert with him a few years ago , and we met up at a Butlins Reunion too 🤝😀
Dave Starr I remember from way before that, Jimmy, will never forget the very first time we ever worked together.

Jean Fox I have worked with him on pantos he is a lovely man and still wears his boots loved him when I was younger

A lovely man and still going strong 👍
What made the late BBC Radio DJ Steve Wright so special… 150 150 mhamer

What made the late BBC Radio DJ Steve Wright so special…

Jimmy Cricket's newspaper column about the late BBC Radio 1 and 2 DJ Steve Wright appeared in the Lancashire Evening Post

Jimmy Cricket has revealed he was a big fan of famous radio DJ Steve Wright who died earlier this year.

For decades the voice of the BBC on afternoon radio, Steve passed away aged 69 in February.

He had joined the national broadcaster at the beginning of the 1980s and went on to host popular shows on both BBC Radio 1 and BBC Radio 2.

In a statement, his family referred to the “millions of devoted radio listeners who had the good fortune and great pleasure of allowing Steve into their daily lives as one of the UK’s most enduring and popular radio personalities”.

Jimmy’s latest monthly newspaper column in the Lancashire Evening Post is devoted to the late DJ.

‘An instant fan’

He says: “When I first got a break on the tele in the early eighties, a friend told me that there was this young DJ on the radio doing an impression of me who was called Steve Wright.

“Obviously, this did my ego a power of good, so I made it my business to tune in to this new ‘jock’.

“I became an instant fan! Steve just had that special something that drew you closer to the radio when he was in full flight.

“He made even reading out the weather report sound interesting.

“Twenty-five years later, I was sitting in the BBC London studios being interviewed by him for his big show that was aired on weekday afternoons.

“I was accompanied by Cannon and Ball. We were there to promote a show we were touring with called The Best of British Variety.

Rory Bremner

“It was great fun as we all bounced ad libs between us, ending with Steve reeling out the theatres around the country where we were strutting our stuff.”

Adds Jimmy: “My other link to Steve’s show came via the impressionist Rory Bremner.

“Rory and I did a TV series for Central television in the mid-eighties and we both got this booking to entertain on a cruise around the Greek Islands. (I know it’s a tough job, but somebody’s got to do it!).

“The problem was I turned up at Athens airport without my passport.

“I can still see it now – half a dozen security men gathered round looking at a publicity photo of a guy in a funny hat and wellingtons at 3 o’clock in the morning, all babbling in Greek, half of them giggling and the other half scratching their heads.

“When Rory went on Steve’s show, he relayed the story as only he could, complete with impressions of the Greek officials.

‘Moving and emotional’

“Steve laughed so much he asked Rory to repeat it the next time he came on his show.”

The column continues: “Of course, no article about Steve Wright would be complete without mention of his other BBC Radio 2 show – Sunday Love Songs.

“Here, he gave shoutouts to couples getting engaged and married (as well as people’s anniversaries), while playing some of the most iconic and romantic songs ever written.

“Some lucky couples even got champagne and chocolate.

“This was one of the most moving and emotional programmes on national radio. It drew huge numbers of listeners every Sunday morning.”

Jimmy concludes: “You know, there’s an intimacy about listening on the radio to your favourite presenter.

“Without the visual distraction of television, you feel he’s just talking to you alone.

“Perhaps that’s what made Steve so special.

“Even though he was talking to the nation, you got the feeling he was just talking to you.”

Search for a Star success signalled start of something special 150 150 mhamer

Search for a Star success signalled start of something special

Next @leponline article chatting about the past and the wonderful television showcase 'Search For A Star' which featured newly discovered talent from the cabaret and club scene (where they came to see you perform live for the audition) #keepvarietyalive

Jimmy Cricket’s big breakthrough into showbusiness came when he won a TV talent show called Search for a Star.

The Northern Irish comedian says he had previously spent eight gruelling years performing on the North of England club circuit.

“It was a tough, bruising apprenticeship,” Jimmy tells readers of his latest newspaper column in the Lancashire Evening Post.

London Weekend Television’s Search for a Star featured newly discovered talent from the cabaret and club scene.

And winning one of the programme’s heats in 1980 put Jimmy in the national spotlight.

He appreciated the significance of the timing, “breaking into televison in the 1980s when glamorous and dazzling variety shows dominated the schedules”.

Jimmy was later given his own series on Central Television in the mid-1980s called And There’s More.

It included the first TV appearance by the impressionist Rory Bremner.

Watch Jimmy’s first television appearance on Search for a Star here. (Warning: there may be advertisements.)

Read details here of the 1980 Search for a Star heat, which Jimmy won.

World’s poorest communities

In the LEP column, Jimmy also talks about his recently released aut0biography, which is now on sale.

Memoirs Of An Irish Comedian tells the heart-warming story of Jimmy’s illustrious life and career – told in his own words.

The paperback costs £11.99 and is available at online retailer Amazon here.

One pound from the sale of every book goes to Mary’s Meals.

The charity supports feeding projects in some of the world’s poorest communities where hunger and poverty prevent children from gaining an education.

Also read – Autobiography: Buy The Jimmy Cricket Story now!

Brian Conley among special guests in 1980s TV show 150 150 mhamer

Brian Conley among special guests in 1980s TV show

Brian Conley appeared in Jimmy Cricket's TV show on Central Television

Jimmy Cricket has been enjoying editing one of his old TV series, which featured well-known entertainer Brian Conley.

Central Television hosted the series, And There’s More, in the mid-1980s.

Northern Irish comedian Jimmy recalled: “Having fun today editing the second series, which was filmed at Central Television Studios alongside so many of my fellow performers, and technicians and writers and camera crew.

“Back when there was stand-up and sketches in the same show! #SaveTheArts.”

Jimmy will be putting up some clips from the TV series on the homepage of this website, so look out for those, folks!

Conley is an English comedian, television presenter, singer and actor.

He hosted The Brian Conley Show, as well as presenting the Royal Variety Performance on eight occasions.

During a 40-year television career, he has also starred in multiple award-winning television sitcoms, including Time After Time and The Grimleys.

Additionally, he had lead roles West Ends in musicals.

Also on the bill was singer Patti Gold, a very good friend of Jimmy’s.

Patti also featured in Jimmy’s first television series on ITV of And There’s More.

Alongside Patti in that series was impressionist Rory Bremner.

That was Rory’s first break on television before he launched himself on an even bigger stage.

Jimmy himself became a household name through the two TV series, which ran for three years between 1985 and 1988.

Also read: Jimmy’s friend Patti Gold celebrates 60th birthday

Watch series two episode four of And There’s More here

 

Forgotten passport nearly KO-ed Greek cruise shows with Rory Bremner 150 150 mhamer

Forgotten passport nearly KO-ed Greek cruise shows with Rory Bremner

Jimmy Cricket's column in the Preston-based Lancashire Evening Post

Jimmy Cricket once failed to persuade the authorities in Athens to let him into Greece without his passport.

The famous entertainer was scheduled to do some shows on a cruise ship around the Greek Islands with friend and impressionist Rory Bremner.

It was during the 1980s when Jimmy, now 70, had his TV series And There’s More, for which he did some YouTube sketches with Bremner, then a “young, fresh-faced impressionist doing his stint in a pub in London”.

Jimmy’s agent told Jimmy he had arranged a three-day cruise for him and Rory performing cabaret on board.

“Now prior to this, I hadn’t been out of the country with Mrs Cricket and, as we had a young family then, it was usually to Disneyland in Florida,” he told readers of the Preston-based Lancashire Evening Post in his July column.

“In other words, my good lady took care of all the travel arrangements. Sooo – and you’re probably not going to believe this – but I actually headed off to Greece with my hat, my wellies, my jammies, my toothbrush, but without – wait for this – my passport!”

He said he somehow managed to get the staff at Heathrow – who recognised him – to go through, they but warned him the Greek authorities “might not be so understanding”.

And despite Jimmy showing staff at Athens photos from his suitcase of him in his full stage costume of hat and wellies and also contacting the cruise organiser and British Embassy official, he still ended up spending the night sleeping on the airport floor!

However, Mrs Cricket sent his passport details through the next morning and he finally got to go on the cruise.

 

Watch TV programme from 1986! 150 150 mhamer

Watch TV programme from 1986!

Jimmy Cricket on And There's More

Fans of famous entertainer Jimmy Cricket are in for a real treat – an airing of the first episode of his TV series from the 1980s.

And There’s More was filmed for Central Television at their studios in Lenton Lane, Nottingham – sadly no longer there – and transmitted in June 1986.

Now, nearly 30 years later, the programme is being broadcast on Jimmy’s YouTube channel and also on the homepage of this website.

But you will have to be quick as the video will be taken down tomorrow at 5pm (Friday).

Jimmy said: “It showed what great comedy actors and impressionists Rory Bremner and Jessica Martin were; what a good stand-up comedian my friend Adrian Walsh was; and what a good sport Chinese actor Hi Ching was. The show’s special guest was actress and winger-songwriter Hazel O’Connor.”

The series was produced and directed by Tony Wolf and the associate producer was Paula Burden – whose father was the famous music hall comedian Albert Burden.

* Because of technological problems, we were unable to upload the video as hoped yesterday. Sorry for any inconvenience.

‘Legend whose material is timeless’ 150 150 mhamer

‘Legend whose material is timeless’

Comedy legend Jimmy Cricket coming to LeicesterJimmy Cricket’s imminent visit to Leicester has clearly got the local press excited.

The Leicester Mercury has described the Irish funnyman as a “comedy legend…whose material is timeless”.

A feature written by reporter Gemma Collins appeared in Thursday’s edition of the newspaper and previews Jimmy’s appearance at next month’s Leicester Comedy Festival.

His show is on the afternoon of Saturday 23 February with a 2.15pm start. All tickets cost just £10.

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