Jethro dies aged 73
- Cornish stand-up Jethro has died with Covid-19, aged 73
- The popular comedian sold over 4 million DVDs across his career
Popular stand-up comedian Jethro has died after contracting coronavirus.
His agent released the following statement: "It is with tremendous sadness that we announce the passing of the well known and popular Cornish comedian Jethro.
"Tragically Jethro passed away on 14th December 2021 after contracting COVID-19. Jethro leaves behind his life partner Jennie, sons Jesse and Lanyon, step daughter 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."
Jethro, whose real name was Geoffrey Rowe, was born West Cornwall and had a long career on stage, often selling more than 250,000 tickets a year to his live shows.
Living in Lewdown, near Dartmoor to the west of Devon, he used to appear regularly on TV shows hosted by Des O'Connor, and his other TV credits include the 2001 Royal Variety Performance and Jim Davidson's Generation Game, however he has mainly build his fan base via live shows and VHS and DVD sales.
Impressively, he sold over 4 million DVDs across his career, thanks to his loyal fan following.
He announced his retirement in 2020, joking: "Great big thank you to everyone that has come to see me over the last 50 years, I'm sure I enjoyed you're company more than you enjoyed mine."
Fans have taken to his Facebook page to pay their condolences, with more than 3,000 tributes already posted.
Below is highlights from one of Jethro's DVDs: