EXCLUSIVE: Cornish comedian Jethro leaves a fortune of £3.3M in his will after his tragic death from Covid
Jethro, the Cornish comedian who turned the air blue with streams of filthy jokes which left audiences howling with laughter, left a fortune of more than £3.3 million in his will following his death.
The comic, whose real name was Geoffrey McIntyre Rowe died in hospital on December 14, 2021 from Covid at the age of 73, and left the bulk of his estate to his long term partner Jennie Barriball.
He left a bequest of £20,000 worth of Premium Bonds to be shared equally between his three grandchildren, and the rest of his estate to his sons Jesse and Lanyon Rowe.
Jethro was friends with comedian Dawn French, and had performed in front of King Charles. He was best known for his live performances, and sold out thousands of theatre seats each year.
He started his career as a stand-up comedian in pubs in Cornwall in the 1970s before finding fame on national TV with guest appearances with Des O’Connor and Jim Davidson.
EXCLUSIVE: Cornish comedian Jethro has left a fortune of more than £3.3 million in his will following his death in 2021 – pictured in 2007
Jethro had hosted two TV shows called The Jethro Junction in 1995, and performed in front of the late Queen at the Royal Variety Performance in 1995.
He often showed himself as a local yokel, or a West Country farmer, with a politically incorrect agenda.
He made regular appearances on Jim Davidson’s General Game, and Dawn French described him as ‘supremely gifted’.
Figures from the probate office show he left a gross estate of £3,341,491, reduced to £3,330,230 after his outstanding affairs were finalised.
In his handwritten will, he left his partner Jennie Barriball his home near Okehampton Devon, including the lodge, forge and paddock, and another property in Lifton, Devon. He also left her £250,000 in cash.
Away from the stage, he was a notable horse breeder and his horses had won seven times at the Horse of the Year Show.
The stand-up comedian died after a 10-day battle with Covid, despite being fully vaccinated and having had a booster jab.
Manager John Miles said Rowe had battled Hodgkin Lymphoma two years earlier but was in remission and was otherwise in good health when he caught the virus.
Tragic: The comic, whose real name was Geoffrey Rowe died in hospital on December 14, 2021 from Covid, and left the bulk of his estate to his long term partner Jennie Barriball
Money: He left a bequest of £20,000 worth of Premium Bonds to be shared equally between his three grandchildren, and the rest of his estate to his sons Jesse and Lanyon Rowe
In a statement Miles said: ‘They did all they could do – it was just so aggressive and fast.’
Paying tribute to his friend of more than 40 years, Mr Miles said Jethro brought a lot of joy to millions of people.
He added: ‘He was a lovely guy, a very kind guy and very funny. At least he brought a lot of enjoyment to many people.’
The news was confirmed in a statement shared this morning which said: ‘It is with tremendous sadness that we announce the passing of the well known and popular Cornish comedian Jethro.
‘Tragically Jethro passed away on December 14, 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.’
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