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search for a star

‘A very happy 80th birthday to the legend of laughter, Jimmy Cricket!’ 150 150 mhamer

‘A very happy 80th birthday to the legend of laughter, Jimmy Cricket!’

Star-studded show to mark Jimmy Cricket's 80th birthday!Hundreds of people have been congratulating comedian Jimmy Cricket on his 80th birthday.

The well-known entertainer celebrated the memorable milestone on Friday.

And his friends and followers took to social media to pass on their best wishes on the big day.

Among them was musician Andy Eastwood who appears in variety shows with Jimmy.

Andy said: “A very happy 80th birthday to the legend of laughter Jimmy Cricket!! 🎭🎷

“And there’s more… we look forward to our show with you at the Spa Theatre Bridlington in March! X.”

Many more people will show their affection for Jimmy at his Big Birthday Gala Show at The Lowry on 1 November.

Tim Vine, Roy Walker, Barbara Nice, Syd Little and Steve Royle are among the entertainers performing at the Salford venue.

Northern Irish funnyman Adrian Walsh and Jimmy’s daughter, Katie Mulgrew, complete the talented line-up – as well as the birthday boy himself, of course!

Go here for the full story

Jimmy was born James Mulgrew on October 17 1945 in Cookstown, Northern Ireland.

He left school at 16 years of age and worked for the next two years in a betting shop.

He then spent the summer of 1966 working as a Redcoat in Butlin’s holiday camp at Mosney, County Meath.

And that was followed by two more summers at the Butlin’s holiday camp in Clacton.

By the early 1970s, he was living in Manchester and from 1972 worked at the Pontins holiday camps in Southport and Morecambe.

He won LWT’s talent contest Search For A Star and was later given his own series on Central Television in the mid-1980s called And There’s More.

 

 

Wayne Dobson was ‘a superbly gifted magician and comedian’ 150 150 mhamer

Wayne Dobson was ‘a superbly gifted magician and comedian’

Wayne Dobson was a 'superbly gifted magician and comedian'

Jimmy Cricket says he is “blessed to have known and worked with” legendary magician Wayne Dobson, who has died aged 68.

Leciester-born Wayne became well known following a host of television appearances in the late 1980s and 1990s.

He hosted his own show called Wayne Dobson – A Kind of Magic.

Wayne had a long and successful career, and campaigned for multiple sclerosis charities, having had the condition for nearly 40 years.

He performed with the likes of Dame Shirley Bassey and Freddie Starr.

His appearance at the 1989 Royal Variety Show, alongside boxer Frank Bruno and sports commentator Harry Carpenter, was particularly memorable.

See below for the clip.

Fellow entertainer Jimmy said on social media: “Sad to hear of the passing of Wayne.

“He was a superbly gifted magician and comedian.

“Like myself, he started his television career on ITV’s Search for a Star (both of us were on the same show together).

“Even when struck down with multiple sclerosis, the trooper that he was, he carried on performing in his wheelchair!

“I was blessed to have known and worked with him!

“R.I.P. old friend!”

 

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 👍
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!