He cut his teeth as Jimmy Giggle in the hit children’s series “Giggle and Hoot”, but after a decade in the role, constant travel, and a young family, Jimmy Rees wanted a change. It was time to move on.
It was 2019, and Jimmy’s future was uncertain. He knew he wanted to stay in entertainment, but doing what? While on the hunt for his next role, he toyed with the idea of making a few funny videos.
“I knew ‘Giggle and Hoot’ was coming to an end, and I had a considerable following because of the show, so I thought I would give it a try. I didn’t know if it was the right thing to do at the time, but with hindsight it was.”
Then came a little thing called Covid. You may have heard of it.
Locked down with the rest of us, Jimmy doubled down on the idea of making content; a creative outlet for his creativity. Perhaps to help him through Lockdown as much as everyone else.
“The short, hyper, fun, and silly video thing was rising. It gave me the confidence. I just basically picked up the camera and started making videos,” said Jimmy.
“Kudos to my wife. I was borrowing all her clothes to dress up in, and saying ‘I know we have three kids under five, but can I have a couple of hours to make some videos’, because I felt that if I get this right, then I can make a living out of it.”
“The thing that surprised me the most was just how fast it happened for me!”.
Fast forward to 2026. Jimmy boasts an astounding 4.5 million followers across the platforms of Tik Tok, Instagram, Facebook and You Tube, and in 2024 he was awarded an Order of Australia Medal for his service to arts as an entertainer, and to the community.
It was a nod to his contribution towards getting many people through Covid with his humorous videos, but also to his community and charity work.
Jimmy’s work with children’s charities stemmed from his Jimmy Giggle character, but was forged through the personal tragedy of losing his beloved nephew Rye in 2022.
“Very Special Kids were amazing to my nephew. My own experiences have caused me to reflect after going to places like Bear Cottage in Sydney, which is like a hospice for kids. You see families grieving when you walk through the door.”
Jimmy says those experiences have shaped who he is today.
“To see these things up close and to see this adversity is unbelievable. And what I realised is that you go to some of these places and the wards are full. As a parent you just think ‘Oh my God’. It is just heart wrenching.”
The experience didn’t make him shy away from, but lean into what he is good at; making people laugh. To make their days easier.
“I think everyone needs a bit of light humour. The whole schtick around my stuff online is ‘zoom the lens out guys’.”
Asked if people have lost the ability to laugh at themselves, Jimmy says “To a degree”.
“At the moment, everything seems so politically charged. You have to pick a side. Can we just go back to ‘not giving a flying’?”
At the heart of the content Jimmy creates is the ability to laugh at oneself. Laugh at the ridiculousness of society, and often the part we willingly play in it.
“I mean, we are all crowded around a kid’s football match and some parents are losing their mind at the umpires! That is, objectively, just weird and funny!”
Resplendent with hundreds of outfits, props, cameras and lighting equipment, and an assistant, Cam, to help him pull it all together, he is pumping out content to the entire planet.
Along with the humour comes responsibility and commitment. A nondescript factory in Mornington is where Jimmy works 9am – 5pm creating content. Resplendent with hundreds of outfits, props, cameras and lighting equipment, and an assistant, Cam, to help him pull it all together, he is pumping out content to the entire planet.
“The funniest thing is coming in on a Monday and saying, ‘Here are all the stupid things I wrote down at midnight’,” said Jimmy.
“And let’s face it, there is crazy stuff happening in the world, so there is no real shortage of material!”
Jimmy sees his content as a way to build his profile rather than provide an income. That way he is not at the mercy of ever-changing algorithms but rather can produce what he thinks will best engage the audience. The brand he has built through the content has allowed him to take the show on the road, selling out venues across Australia.
Jimmy will be bringing his show “Meanwhile in Frankston” to Frankston Arts Centre in September. In the meantime, there is a little jaunt over to the hugely popular Edinburgh Fringe Festival where he has ten shows booked.
“I’ve only been to New Zealand, which is really just part of Australia, so this is huge. It’s a bit of a test run for the overseas market. You can see on your stats that you have a decent following overseas, so why not give it a go?”
It is the “business of making people laugh”, and Jimmy has embraced it fully. Born from quitting his stable job and throwing himself at the mercy of the universe, having the universe throw back challenges galore, and having it work out just fine.
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As published in Peninsula Essence Magazine
