Lockdowns nearly destroyed Jimmy Rees but it was a career blessing in disguise for former children’s TV star

It’s almost surreal when you think back to the depths of COVID lockdowns. Limits on how far you could go to exercise. Home schooling. Working from home. Struggling with office tech at the dining table. The list goes on . . . there’s not a lot of happy memories for many during that time.

However, one distinct memory I have was waiting for the latest skit by comedian Jimmy Rees to drop on Instagram, where even during those dark times, he managed to make me, and countless others laugh out loud with his take on each different states approach as to how COVID was dealt with.

Jimmy Rees was by no means a stranger to keeping people entertained.

Years after following his big brother into the school musical and realising he quite liked goofing around on stage, followed by a short stint at university, he was thrust into the hearts and homes of children all around Australia when he auditioned and landed the gig as the presenter of kids’ show Giggle and Hoot.

He says through playing Jimmy Giggle, he became very accomplished at performing with cardboard instruments, juggling badly, playing the ukulele, dressing up as various characters, pulling faces, eyebrow manipulation and singing with a massive smile. And he did all of those things exceptionally well.

For 11 years, he danced, sang, problem-solved, built things using everyday items and told stories. Young children grew up watching him, as did their parents and often grandparents. Then — without much warning from the ABC — the show came to an end.

By this stage he and his wife Tori had three young boys, Lenny, and twins Vinny and Mack, so they decided the time was right to move back to regional Victoria to be closer to family.

With a Giggle and Hoot Live show in the works, they purchased a large home, and as many Australians do, took on an enormous mortgage ... just as the lockdowns in Victoria began and work opportunities dried up. The live shows got cancelled, and Jimmy was forced to pivot his career in a heartbeat. As Jimmy says with a smile, “Life is all about timing, and it turns out ours was pretty bad.”

For years he’d been writing down comedy and sketch ideas. He’d learned to edit during his Uni course and had always planned to create his own content online. But all of a sudden, those plans had to accelerate at a supercharged speed.

He approached his online content creating like a full-time job. So, with his camera and lighting set up in his master bedroom (he reckons it gave the postie something to talk about) and free range to raid his wife’s wardrobe . . . numerous characters were born and played out across our social media platforms.

Firstly, there was the Meanwhile In Australia series, then The Ladies of Brighton, The Guy Who Decides, and more recently the Meanwhile in America episodes to name a few . . . along with hilarious observations often about the inanest things.

His style of humour is to be light, not nasty. And it’s obviously working — Jimmy now has almost four million followers across Instagram, TikTok and Facebook, and is about to head off on his first metro tour in two years In Reel Life.

In 2022, his original five tour dates became 35 sold-out shows. It saw his last tour in 2023, performed in much bigger venues. This time around he will be in theatres around the country from October to December, before heading to New Zealand for the first time.

We catch up with Jimmy tonight on Better Homes and Gardens in his beautiful home, which is an absolute paradise for adults and children alike. Despite his home’s grandeur, Jimmy is one of the most humble, generous and likeable guys you can meet. Nothing is a hassle, and he’s delightful whether the camera is rolling or not.

There’s a games room with a ping pong/air hockey table, electric drum kit and a piano, a gaming station, and an acrobatics high bar and outside there’s even more activities — a full jungle gym, a half basketball court, sandpit and generous pool and entertaining area. As he observed, there’s plenty of room for the boys and his two dogs to run wild. It’s easy to see why when he’s not performing, that Jimmy is happiest being at home with his family. It’s magnificent and full of fun. Much like Jimmy himself.

Better Homes and Gardens is at 7pm on Channel 7 or 7two or you can catch up anytime on @7plus to see Jimmy’s house tour.

For more information on Jimmy’s In Reel Life tour dates just head to jimmyrees.com.au