After Dinner SpeakersJimmy Cricket is a legendary Irish Comedian and After-Dinner Speaker
Born in Cookstown, Northern Ireland, Jimmy left school aged sixteen and spent his first two years working in a betting shop, before spending the summer of 1966 working as a Redcoat at Butlins in Mosney, County Meath.
He spent the following two summers at Butlins in Clacton where he picked up more ideas and observations from fellow Redcoats and visiting artistes.
Over time, Jimmy gradually put together a comedy act to make the holidaymakers smile at his Irish humour.
After a brief spell as a door-to-door salesman around the pubs and clubs of Manchester, Jimmy changed the colour of his summer jacket, and in 1972 became a Bluecoat at the Pontins Camps of Southport and Morecambe.
Jimmy continued developing his ‘Jimmy Cricket’ character in the Northern Clubs. It was at this time that TV producers began to take note of this refreshing comic with his hilarious Irish humour.
He went on to win 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” (which included the first TV appearance by the impressionist Rory Bremner).
Jimmy also had his own programme on BBC Radio 2, featured in ‘The Krankies Klub‘ alongside The Krankies and Bobby Davro and appeared on The Royal Variety Show.
After 50 years as a comedy performer, Jimmy is still in great demand performing to sell-out theatre audiences and at corporate events throughout the country.
In 2015, Jimmy featured in a special Christmas show alongside ‘The Osmonds’ in the ‘Andy Williams Christmas Spectacular’ touring the UK performing at venues such as the O2 Arena in London and the Harrogate International Centre.
Jimmy Cricket continues to fine-tune his live act, constantly adding new and fresh material.
Cricket’s humour is entirely clean, complimented with his popular theme of Irish comedy logic.
