OMG! Jedward mania as €1m panto tickets snapped up
Pop twins Jedward. Photo: Brian McEvoy
JEDWARD'S popularity shows no signs of abating as the pair have racked up more than €1m in ticket sales for their festive panto.
Twins John and Edward Grimes (20) will celebrate the holidays with a sold out Jedward And The Beanstalk panto in The Olympia.
The energetic duo, who are fronting the OMG! Jedward's Dream Factory, and are also preparing for another pop at the Eurovision song contest, will take to the stage in front of a packed theatre every day over the panto's two-week run.
Thousands of diehard Jedheads have snapped up most of the 42,000 tickets for the 34 matinee and evening shows to see the X Factor graduates.
"There was a massive spike in sales over 48 hours and all the final sets that were left are gone," revealed manager Louis Walsh.
The twins will be joined on stage by their co-star Linda Martin for the production, which is backed by the Herald, and they are believed to have totted up a hefty Christmas bonus of €200,000.
Jedward, who treated Herald readers to a chance to win the golden tickets for the shows, are also looking forward to their 10-part RTE Two show OMG! Jedward's Dream Factory which kicks off on St Stephen's Day and is set to run until January 4, 2012.
The generous Celebrity Big Brother stars took time out of their busy schedules to make a seriously ill Dublin boy's dreams come true.
Seven-year-old Hayden McLafferty was "awestruck" when his Christmas wish to meet his idols Jedward became a reality.
The singers surprised the Clondalkin native with a visit in Brown Thomas, where Hayden was taken by his mother and family friend Cathy Burke.
The Dublin family were recently informed that Hayden's heart condition had deteriorated dramatically and decided to bring forward their Christmas celebrations -- but Jedmania cheered up the young fan no end.
"Hayden was awe-struck. Jedward were brilliant to him," Cathy said. "The boys had a wonderful time with Jedward. It's fantastic, they were so kind," she added.
- LAURA BUTLER
