Life size statue of Cornwall comedian Jethro now complete, but where should it go?

A life size statue of Cornwall comedian Jethro has now been completed, but now the big question is where it should go. Since the death of the much loved comedian in 2021, supporters have successfully raised £17,000 to commission Wadebridge sculptor Richard Austin to create a bronze likeness.

In June, a group of them pitched up at the Royal Cornwall Show in Wadebridge to raise funds for the statue campaign. At the time, Rebel Dean and Peter Southwell who started the project 18 months ago, where pondering where the statue should go. Jethro, (real name Geoffrey Rowe), died on December 14, 2021, at the age 73 and his death was met with tributes from locals and celebs alike.

His funeral took place a month later in Truro Cathedral and was attended by hundreds of mourners including many celebrities and friends of the comedian and singer such as Jim Davidson. Hundreds more had lined the streets of Lewdown, Devon, near Jethro’s club ahead of a funeral procession, clapping as the hearse funeral cortege drove past.

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Jethro was born in St Buryan near Penzance and became well-known for his observational comedy, much of which covered life in his beloved Cornwall.

Jesse Rowe, Jethro’s son, told the BBC : “The boys in west Cornwall all knew him from down the mines and playing the rugby and that was the way they knew him more than the comedy. They loved him for the way he was as a person, not as a comedian.”

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Stacey Rowe, Jethro’s daughter-in-law added: “If Jeff was here he would be so touched how everyone thought of him to donate all this.”

Now his statue is complete, the fundraisers with the backing of Jethro’s family, are asking members of the public where the statue should go.

Back in June, Pete said that the original idea was for the statue to be placed at Camborne station, but because of the plaque to Jethro already unveiled at the station, the team is now on the lookout for a new location. He said: “We’re looking at Land’s End and Eden Project and Hall for Cornwall in Truro. We want something protected so it won’t get vandalised, We think Hall for Cornwall would be the perfect spot.”