Comedian Jimmy Cricket has died at the age of 80 following a short illness, his family announced. His son, Fr Frankie Mulgrew, revealed that the Northern Irish stand-up asked for the last rites twice, “almost like he asked for an encore”.
Family Tributes
In a statement, Cricket's family said: “Our beloved Jimmy has passed away this morning after a short illness. He spent his last few days surrounded by his family, love, laughter and songs.” They added that he brought “so much laughter and happiness to countless audiences” throughout his career.
His youngest son, a former comedian turned priest, described his father as “like a light” and said he loved making people laugh.
Colleagues Pay Respects
Comedian Ted Robbins paid tribute on X, referencing Cricket's catchphrase “there's more”. He wrote: “I worked with him many times & he was one of the Last Great Comics a unique style, never blue just funny. I know he and all his family have a great Christian Faith so maybe The Angels will be saying 'Come here Jimmy - there's more'!”
Career and Legacy
Cricket, born in Cookstown, was a familiar face on TV variety shows in the 1980s, often appearing alongside stars like Ernie Wise and Norman Wisdom. He was married to his wife May for 52 years and had four children, described as a “very silly grandad” to his four grandchildren.
The family's statement praised him as their “greatest champion” who “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.”
They noted his faith, saying: “But Jimmy was a man of great faith and a Papal Knight of the Catholic Church. He believed that death is not the end and was looking forward to eternity, so really… and there's more.”
Earlier, Cricket had posted on his website that he was taking a “little sabbatical for health reasons” and had started treatment, but planned to catch up with fans at shows in autumn 2026.
