He’s best known for his starring role on the hit ABC Kids’ show, Giggle And Hoot, but now Jimmy Rees is set to hot shoe shuffle his way into lounge rooms across Australia as a contestant on Dancing With The Stars.
So, what else do you need to know about the 31-year-old children’s entertainer? Read on…
Giggle and Hoot: Jimmy’s big break
At age 21, Jimmy went to an open-call audition for a children’s television show presenter. He had no TV experience, had dropped out of uni and was working in a pub. He beat 5000 other hopefuls to score the role.
Giggle & Hoot hit our screens in 2009 and since then, Jimmy’s character Jimmy Giggle and his best mate, an owl named, Hoot have become household names. Along with the TV show, there is tonne of merchandise and regular live tours across Australia.
Jimmy Rees is quite the performer – he can act, he can sing, his comic timing is impeccable and he’s quite charming too. But, can he dance? Time will tell.
Jimmy Giggle. Kids love him. And plenty of mums think he’s alright too.
Mums adore him
Handsome and great with kids. What’s not to love? Jimmy admits he’s used to receiving fan mail from mothers but he’s still getting his head around the fact that he’s considered a sex symbol.
“I’m on preschool television, it’s kind of a strange thing,” he blushes. “It’s just hilarious. Sideburns aren’t that trendy, let’s be honest, and the pyjamas are just not attractive, so I don’t know what they see… but I’m happy to take that, fine. As I’m getting older I’ll take anything!”
Jimmy and Tori married in 2013 and welcomed their first son, Lenny in 2015.
Sorry ladies, he’s happily married and a doting dad
Jimmy and his wife Tori met working at a pub in Mount Eliza, Victoria. After a year of dating, the couple moved to Sydney for Giggle & Hoot and in 2013 they tied the knot.
“Everything we’ve done has been as a team. It’s a special thing when you find that someone to be your teammate,” gushes Jimmy.
In 2015, Jimmy and Tori welcomed a son, Lenny David Rees.
Then, in February this year, twin boys arrived. Announcing the news to Instagram, Jimmy wrote:
“THE BABIES ARE HERE!!!! Tori and I couldn’t be prouder to share the safe arrival of Mack & Vinny (2.46kg & 2.33kg). Both boys are doing amazing!!”
Praising his wife, Jimmy said:
“Tori is a total superstar, she was born to be a mummy and continues to surprise me with her innate ability to just know what to do!!! Our hearts have doubled in size!! Prepare for some serious baby spam!!!”
Double the fun for Jimmy and his wife, Tori with the recent arrival of twin boys, Mack and Vinny. (Source: Instagram)
Expanding their family was a bumpy road
Jimmy loves being a father and in September 2018, he opened up about the plans to expand their brood and give their three-year-old son, Lenny a sibling.
“We’re trying; it’s proving a little difficult… It has been a bit of a struggle. It’s one of those things where we’re like, ‘Do we intervene and do something different?’ We’re at that stage. But we’re sure it’ll happen, and we’ve just got to be patient,” he said.
Patience paid off, as less than a year later the couple welcomed their bundle of two.
Tori recently shared a hearfelt Instagram message to anyone experiencing fertility issues.
“Those families who are struggling – please stay strong, please don’t give up hope on that family, please get help in whatever way you can, please allow yourself to grieve and please speak up to people who understand – I am so right there for anyone who is going through a fertility journey of their own.”
She signed off, “So much love to everyone. I am feeling so full, so loved up and just so insanely BLESSED in every single possible way.”
Time to hit the dance floor
2019 is shaping up to be a massive year for Jimmy… newborn twins and now he’s set to dance for his life week after week on Dancing With The Stars. How is he going to manage it all? With support from his wife.
“My wife is so supportive, it is going to be a crazy time in our life and especially for her as she will be the mother of three children. But she was so encouraging for me and said no this is something we have wanted to do for a while, something a bit different from Giggle and Hootand my regular job. So we’re really looking forward to it.”
“My family are very excited, I think they have high expectations for me which I’m trying to lower,” he laughs.
