Funeral service for Northern Irish comedian Jimmy Cricket is to be held at Salford Cathedral in Greater Manchester on Friday afternoon. The requiem mass is scheduled for 1.30pm.

Cricket, born James Mulgrew in Cookstown, died on August 3 at the age of 80 after a short illness, according to a family statement. He was surrounded by family at the time of his death.

His youngest son, Father Frankie Mulgrew, a former comedian who became a priest, said his father requested the last rites twice before his death. He said his father loved making people laugh.

In a social media statement, the family described Cricket as their greatest champion and said he was a devout Catholic who showed his love for them openly. They said he brought laughter and happiness to audiences over his career but that was nothing compared to the happiness he gave his family.

Cricket was associated with the phrase And there's more and was known for wearing a bowler hat. He became a fixture on television in the 1980s, appearing on programmes including The Good Old Days and the Royal Variety Performance.

He left school at 16 and spent summers working as a Redcoat host at Butlins holiday camps. He performed on the comedy club circuit in the 1970s and 1980s, later winning LWT's Search for a Star talent contest.

That led to his own ITV series, And There's More, which ran for four seasons. He later presented a programme on BBC Radio 2 and appeared in the Royal Variety Show and a number of pantomimes.

Cricket was married to his wife May for 52 years and the couple had four children. He was a grandfather to four grandchildren.