Loveable funny-man, Jethro, sadly passed away yesterday due to complications with COVID-19, his manager announced. A statement released on his Facebook page shared that the 72-year-old Cornwall comedian sadly lost his life on Tuesday.
“It is with tremendous sadness that we announce the passing of the well-known and popular Cornish comedian Jethro,” the statement said. “Tragically Jethro passed away on 14 December 2021 after contracting COVID-19. Jethro leaves behind his life partner Jennie, sons Jesse and Lanyon, stepdaughter Sarah, daughter-in-law Stacey and of course his much-loved grandchildren.
“We ask that you respect our privacy at this very sad time and give us all time to grieve. We will continue to support each other in the knowledge that our lives will never be the same without him.”
According to reports, Jethro had been double jabbed as well as having received the booster shot. Born in St Buryan (west Cornwall), 1948, as Geoffrey Rowe, Jethro went on to become one of the most famous performers to ever come out of the county. He rose to fame in the 1980s and was best known for his unique style and observational comedy, including pieces about living in Cornwall.
A regular on TV shows hosted by Des O'Connor, his other TV credits included the 2001 Royal Variety Performance and Jim Davidson's Generation Game. Although, the majority of his fanbase was acquired through live shows and VHS and DVD sales, with the British Comedy Guide adding that he had “impressively” sold more than 4 million DVDs throughout his career.
Announcing his retirement in 2020, Jethro said a “Great big thank you to everyone that has come to see me over the last 50 years, I'm sure I enjoyed your company more than you enjoyed mine.”
Taking to Twitter to mourn the loss of his friend, Davidson wrote, “My good friend Jethro has left us. RIP Jethro, you will be greatly missed.” The former comedian and tv host later posted a video on YouTube; “He was a great comedian, Jethro. He just liked to tell jokes. He told jokes; his timing was immaculate. I mean, even if you've heard that old joke a million times, he'd still make you laugh with it. He was unique. He didn't follow fashion, certainly not. But I never met anyone who had a bad word to say about him and that's a measure of a man for me. A great guy. I'll miss him.”
Like Davidson, Jethro was known as an old-school comedian, and had received criticism for some of his work.
