The Krankies: From 80s TV royalty and swinging confessions to quiet retirement

If you grew up watching British television in the 1980s, you couldn't escape them. Wee Jimmy Krankie was everywhere. School uniform, red hair, shouting 'fandabidozi' at the top of his lungs.

Behind the cheeky schoolboy was Scottish comedian Janette Tough. Right beside her was her husband, Ian. Together, they built an entertainment empire out of pantomime, Saturday night variety shows, and sheer chaos.

Decades later, the act is packed away. After wild tell-all memoirs, shocking admissions about their private lives, and severe health scares, the couple traded the stage lights for a much quieter life. Here is the full story of where the duo ended up.

What happened to Wee Jimmy Krankie

For years, casual viewers had no idea the boy on screen was actually a grown woman married to her comedy partner. Janette and Ian met in the late 1960s at the Glasgow Pavilion Theatre. They fell in love, tied the knot, and built a double act that conquered light entertainment.

Janette slipped into schoolboy shorts and school caps. Ian played the exasperated father figure or straight man. It was silly, loud, and massively popular. They landed their own series, filled arenas, and became the undisputed kings of Christmas pantomime across the UK.

Playing a mischievous child when you're an adult comes with an expiry date, though. As the years ticked on, keeping up the physical comedy took a heavy toll.

Janette eventually hung up the school cap for good. The high-energy stunts, running around stages, and vocal gymnastics were simply too much to keep doing night after night.

The wild swinging confessions that stunned fans

Just when the public thought they had The Krankies pegged as wholesome family entertainers, the couple blew that image to pieces. In the 2010s, they gave interviews and wrote a candid autobiography that left jaws on the floor.

They openly admitted to having an open marriage and participating in the swinging scene during their touring heyday in the 1970s and 1980s. When they were on the road with other variety acts, things got wild behind closed doors.

Ian spoke candidly about wild boat parties, heavy drinking sessions, and swapping partners with other performers. They didn't hide from it. They owned it.

They even recounted one infamous punch-up in a bar where Status Quo singer Rick Parfitt had to step in and break up a brawl between Ian and a magician. Fans who grew up on children's TV couldn't quite believe what they were reading, but Janette and Ian laughed it off as the reality of old-school showbiz life.

The terrifying stage accident that changed everything

Behind the laughs, life on stage carried real physical danger. In December 2004, disaster struck during a run of Jack and the Beanstalk at the Pavilion Theatre in Glasgow.

Janette was climbing a mechanical beanstalk when the machinery failed. The prop collapsed from a height of around twenty feet, throwing her violently to the stage floor.

The fall caused horrific injuries. Janette suffered a fractured skull, broken collarbone, cracked ribs, and a punctured lung. Doctors rushed her to intensive care, and for a short time, her condition was critical.

She survived and eventually recovered enough to return to work, but the accident left permanent marks. The physical trauma made long, gruelling stage runs far tougher to manage as she got older.

Health battles and calling time on panto

As the couple moved into their seventies, health issues caught up with them. Janette faced further physical setbacks, including joint wear and tear and respiratory challenges that made live theatre impossible.

Panto requires two shows a day, six days a week, for weeks on end. It drains performers half their age. Janette realised her body couldn't handle the physical punishment anymore.

The couple officially announced their retirement from full-scale pantomime runs. They occasionally popped up on television for lighthearted cameos, comedy sketches, and panel shows, but the days of leaping across stage sets were over.

Ian stepped up to support his wife, making sure they stepped back before the work caused irreversible damage to her health.

Where Ian and Janette Tough are living now

So where are they today? They swapped the wet, chilly winters of Glasgow and London for the sunshine of Australia and the English coast.

The pair bought an apartment in Queensland, Australia, spending large chunks of the winter soaking up the warmth down under. They also kept a home in Devon, where they can enjoy a peaceful routine far away from stage lights and makeup chairs.

These days, Janette looks completely different from the red-haired scamp people remember on screen. She sports a neat, stylish haircut and dresses like the glamorous grandmother she is.

After five decades of touring, fighting, laughing, and shocking the nation, Ian and Janette are happy watching from the sidelines. Jimmy Krankie is officially in the history books, and the Toughs are enjoying every minute of their well-earned rest.