Meet Jimmy Rees, the next big thing in children’s entertainment as star of Giggle and Hoot

HE spends his days in pyjamas and talking to a puppet owl called Hoot. But for kids everywhere, Jimmy Rees is a hero. And for the ABC, he is the shining star.

ABC TV characters Jimmy Giggle and Hoot are set to pay Geelong a visit next week.

HE spends his days in pyjamas and talking to a puppet owl called Hoot.

But for kids everywhere, he is a hero. And for the ABC, he is the shining star.

Jimmy Rees — better know by families around Australia know him as Jimmy Giggle — is said to be worth millions.

His show, Giggle and Hoot, on ABC 2, is a hit, leading to massive sales for the ABC in merchandise.

Rees’ smiling face is now on lunch boxes, back packs and colouring books.

Media analyst Steve Allen said Rees’ popularity with youngsters and the merchandising opportunities it afforded would be “worth millions to the ABC”.

ABC TV characters Jimmy Giggle and Hoot.

“One only has to look at The Wiggles and what they’re worth — they have been on the BRW rich list for a decade,” Allen said.

“The ABC, unlike the commercial networks, is pretty much devoid of celebrity. It’s not something they pursue, but when they’ve got something like this it provides them with a fantastic promotional situation.”

Though he is now a fully fledged kids’ entertainment star, Rees scoffs at the suggestion he could soon give The Wiggles a run for their money.

“They own their own content — I don’t,” he said.

“I am not sitting on millions — the ABC might be — but I definitely am not.”

While in the early days of the show, he and others behind the scenes had to forge kids’ drawings to showcase in their TV gallery, these days thousands of children turn up to meet him at shopping centre appearances.

And there is no shortage of letters and pictures being sent to him, either.

The presenter said some mothers have had crushes on him — one even giving Rees’ wife her phone number to pass on to him without realising who she was.

Luckily, Rees has an understanding and supportive wife in primary school teacher Tori.

Rees also played down any suggestion that recent ABC funding cuts would affect the Giggle and Hoot hour.

“They’re not taking a few owls off my pyjamas or cutting a few inches off my tie,” he laughs. “If anything we’re growing. We have some big things coming up.”