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Des O’Connor RIP: I was thrilled to be on his TV chat show 150 150 mhamer

Des O’Connor RIP: I was thrilled to be on his TV chat show

From the moment I saw Des O’Connor playing Buttons in Panto @gohbelfast over 60 years ago, I new he was destined for stardom! I was thrilled to have appeared alongside him on his TV Chat Show in the 80’s! R.I.P. Des #Legend

Des O’Connor’s death at the age of 88 got Jimmy Cricket recalling his fond memories of the famous entertainer.

The London-born comedian hosted his own prime-time TV shows for more than 45 years.

He was also a successful singer.

The popular and long-running Countdown was among the shows he presented.

He was very good friends with Morecambe and Wise.

In addition to performing all over the world, he appeared in hundreds of shows at the London Palladium.

He hosted The Des O’Connor Show, which ran on ITV from 1963 to 1971.

‘Destined for stardom’

In 1977 he began hosting Des O’Connor Tonight, which started on BBC Two before moving to ITV, on which channel it finished in 2002.

He was made a CBE for his services to entertainment and broadcasting in the 2008 birthday honours.

Jimmy reminisced: “From the moment I saw Des O’Connor playing Buttons in Panto @gohbelfast over 60 years ago, I knew he was destined for stardom!

“I was thrilled to have appeared alongside him on his TV Chat Show in the 80s!

“R.I.P. Des #Legend.”

Obituary on the BBC website: From Butlin’s to chat show king

Also read: Bruce Forsyth: Our living room friends for decades

 

 

Ex-Corrie actress takes part in Rochdale show 150 150 mhamer

Ex-Corrie actress takes part in Rochdale show

Jimmy Cricket

A former Coronation Street actress was among the performers in a parish centre show hosted by much-loved entertainer Jimmy Cricket.

Sue Devaney (below right) has played various roles on British television, including Debbie Webster in Corrie, Rita Briggs in Jonny Briggs, Liz Harker in Casualty and Jane in Dinnerladies.

Local, national and sometimes international entertainers perform for nothing at the monthly event, which takes place at St Vincent’s RC Parish Centre in Norden, Rochdale.

Sue Devaney

Also on the bill was singer John from J & D Alexander Jewellers in the Greater Manchester town of Rochdale, where Belfast-born Jimmy has lived for many years.

A collection is made for a charitable cause usually decided on the jam night, with the Sudden Community Centre, based on Cheltenham Street in Rochdale, the beneficiary on this occasion.

The centre has been established in the community through various forms since August 1991.

Since its inception, it has helped thousands of local residents empower themselves to a more dignified and fulfilling life through many of the programmes offered there.

Their mission is for local residents to be members of a vibrant and sustainable community who manage and control their future through the improvement of their own living and working environment.

Emphasis is on empowerment through education, enterprise, and lifelong learning and training opportunities for all.

The centre delivers community-based training and support for local residents, particularly those who are hard to reach and face barriers to accessing information, advice and guidance and progression to employment, training and education.

LEP column: Here’s to the king of comedy writers 150 150 mhamer

LEP column: Here’s to the king of comedy writers

Jimmy Cricket's Lancashire Evening Post columnJimmy Cricket remembers legendary comedy writer and close friend, the late Eddie Braben, in one of his recent newspaper columns.

Edwin ‘Eddie’ Charles Braben was best known for providing material for Eric Morecambe and Ernie Wise. He also worked for David FrostRonnie Corbett and Ken Dodd.

He was credited with changing the profile of Morecambe and Wise, helping to turn them into one of the most popular and enduring comedy acts in the history of British entertainment.

Belfast-born entertainer Jimmy, who has lived in Rochdale for many years, recalls in the Lancashire Post how Eddie started out as a market trader, selling fruit and veg from a stall in Liverpool’s St John precinct. In his spare time, he made up jokes.

Jimmy says how nervous he was when he first met Eddie, adding: “That was the start of a beautiful friendship that spanned two TV series, five radio series and even a book of letters from my Mammy.”

Northern Irish comedian Jimmy developed a lasting friendship with Eddie who sadly died aged 82 in May 2013. Below is a newspaper article in which Jimmy paid tribute to his old pal at the time.

Jimmy Cricket pays tribute to Eddie Braben in the Rochdale Observer

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.

 

Jimmy Cricket & co a hit at golf club 150 150 mhamer

Jimmy Cricket & co a hit at golf club

Jimmy Cricket with Buzz Hawkins from the Bradshaws, and impressionist Johnny More

Jimmy Cricket will return to a golf club in north Manchester later this year following a recent successful charity show there.

The fundraising event, A Night with the Stars, took place at Blackley golf club and was in aid of the Red Cross and the Ebola crises appeal.

The fundraising event took place at Blackley golf club and was in aid of the Red Cross and the Ebola crises appeal

Jimmy graced the club alongside Buzz Hawkins from the Bradshaws, the impressionist Johnny More (all three are pictured above) and a host of other performers.

Tony Horsfield and Eric Devereux, both very good friends of Jimmy, were the organisers of the event.

It must have been a good night, as Jimmy has already been asked to return to the same venue for his own comedy evening that is being organised by the club captain and his entertainment team.

Keith Harris: ‘Great showman – we salute you’ 150 150 mhamer

Keith Harris: ‘Great showman – we salute you’

Jimmy Cricket appeared on Keith Harris’s holiday laughter show (with Orville and Cuddles) at the Royal Opera House in the summer of 1982

Jimmy Cricket has been paying tribute in his latest newspaper column to ventriloquist Keith Harris, who died last month.

Keith, who, with his puppet duck Orville, became a regular feature of Saturday night TV in the 1980s, was 67.

He entertained generations of children with his sidekick Orville, a bright green duck who wore a nappy and spoke in a high-pitched voice but couldn’t fly. He also gave life to the popular puppet Cuddles the monkey, whose catchphrase was ‘I hate that duck!’

In addition to fronting The Keith Harris Show on BBC One, he (and Orville) gave private performances at birthday parties for Prince William and his brother Harry, at the request of Diana, Princess of Wales.

His 1982 single, Orville’s Song, was a top five hit, selling more than 400,000 copies.

In his May column for the Preston-based Lancashire Evening News, Jimmy says: “Most ventriloquists that are successful discover one dummy that tickles people’s funny bone, but Keith was blessed with two.

“In 1983, holidaymakers were still visiting our summer resorts en masse and Keith’s show was a sellout from start to finish.

“Keith Harris – you weren’t just a superb ventriloquist, you were a great showman and producer.

“We salute you.”

Johnny Vegas to also feature in film 150 150 mhamer

Johnny Vegas to also feature in film

Johnny Vegas is appearing in the Womble film

Famous actor and comedian Johnny Vegas is to appear in the Womble movie, which is being filmed on location in North Wales and also features entertainer Jimmy Cricket. 

St Helens-born Johnny is well known for his appearances in the hit ITV comedy drama Benidorm and also for popping up in adverts for tea brand PG Tips with a stuffed puppet monkey!

His addition to the cast is another major coup for the people behind Womble the movie, as it also includes top comedian Jimmy, 69, who will play himself as a talent contest judge.

The film is about a man called Aloysius Rupert Womble (played by actor and comedian Tom Spencer), who is in his 30s and living with Asperger’s Syndrome in a typical seaside resort town.

Children and adults affected by Asperger’s Syndrome have difficulty with social interactions and exhibit a restricted range of interests and/or repetitive behaviours.

Aloysius’s dream is to become a stand-up comedian. The film is a week-long snapshot of his life as he goes through the trials of living with a cognitive disorder, while dealing with the injustices forced upon him by society and parts of his community.

Over the seven-day period he prepares for the biggest night of his life – a talent show in his local pub.

The film will feature songs from the Beautiful South’s former lead singer Briana Corrigan and American Pie star Thomas Nicholas, as well as a string of original songs written by songwriters especially for the movie.