FOR a generation of Australians, he was the energetic host with an owl sidekick helping children wind down before bedtime on Giggle and Hoot.
Today, Jimmy Rees has become a viral comedy sensation, sold-out touring performer and one of the country’s sharpest observers of modern Australian life.
Yet beneath the social media fame, political satire and millions of online views remains the same performer who simply loves making people laugh.
“I just grew up in a family which was all about having a laugh,” Rees said.
Ahead of his Ipswich Civic Centre show, Rees reflected on the surreal career journey that took him from children’s television to becoming the unofficial voice of Australia’s collective frustrations, absurdities and everyday chaos.
When Giggle and Hoot came to an end, Rees knew life was about to change.
By early 2020, he suddenly found himself out of work, with three young children at home and the entertainment industry grinding to a halt during Covid lockdowns.
“I’ve got a mortgage to pay and I’m thinking, ‘What do I do?’” he said.
Instead of following the traditional entertainment path of auditions and television pitches, Rees picked up a camera and started posting short comedy videos online.
“There was a big audience there – kids who’d grown up on Giggle and Hoot,” he said.
“I thought, I’m just going to go full on into this and give it a go.”
What followed was one of Australia’s most successful digital reinventions.
His “Meanwhile in Australia” sketches exploded online, blending exaggerated characters, political absurdity and painfully relatable observations about daily life.
“People think they’re unique, like they’re the only person that does that thing,” he said.
“But it’s funny how similar everyone is. The amount of comments saying, ‘Are you looking through my window?’ – that’s every household.”
The comedy worked because Australians were collectively living through the same moments at the same time.
Unlike many celebrities carefully managing polished personas, Rees comes across exactly the same on-screen as he does off it, relaxed, self-deprecating and deeply Australian.
For all the fame, Rees said family remains his priority.
The father-of-three regularly weighs up television opportunities against the reality of spending weeks away from home.
Unlike traditional television production schedules, social media allows him to create content while still being present for his children.
“It’s pretty flexible actually, which is amazing in a gig you really enjoy,” he said.
Unlike traditional stand-up comedians who spend years grinding through comedy clubs, Rees built his audience online first meaning fans arrive already invested in his humour and personality.
And while children once knew him as Jimmy Giggle, those same fans are now adults attending his comedy shows.
For Rees, though, the mission has never really changed.
“We can laugh about difficult things together,” he said.
“Sometimes that’s what people need.”
Jimmy Rees – One Night Only, plays at Ipswich Civic Centre on Saturday, July 11, with tickets now on sale on the venue website.
