Snooker world turns out to remember John Virgo

Stars of the green baize turned out in snooker's home city for a memorial service to former player and commentator John Virgo.

Virgo, who died aged 79 in February, reached the World Snooker Championship semi-finals at the city's Crucible in 1979 and was a professional for 18 years before picking up the microphone for the BBC in 1994.

Ahead of the start of this year's competition on Saturday, the service in Virgo's memory took place earlier at Sheffield Cathedral, a short walk from the Crucible.

Former world champion turned pundit Ken Doherty said Virgo was a "wonderful character" whose voice was "synonymous with snooker".

Doherty was among those in attendance at Thursday's memorial along with seven-time world champion Stephen Hendry, Steve Davis, Jimmy White, Dennis Taylor, John Parrot and Virgo's widow, Rosie Ries.

A host of players taking part in this year's tournament also attended the event, including Shaun Murphy, John Higgins, Neil Robertson, Mark Allen and Mark Williams.

Outside the cathedral, snooker fan Jim Fitzpatrick wore a shirt emblazoned with a snooker table design and Virgo's name.

He said he'd remember the personality as "funny" and someone who "didn't take sport too seriously".

To many, Salford-born Virgo was the voice of snooker and, despite a career which took him to a world ranking of 10, he was perhaps best known for his post-playing career.

Virgo presented popular snooker TV show Big Break alongside comedian Jim Davidson from 1991 to 2002 as well as his commentary work.

Virgo's final BBC commentary came in January, 17 days before his death, for the 2026 Masters final.

Remembering his friend and former colleague, Doherty said: "The way he could draw a listener in, tell a story and build the drama, that's an art in itself.

"It was just wonderful to share so many times in the commentary box with him and have so many laughs with him as well."

Dennis Taylor, the 1985 world champion who later shared commentary duties with Virgo on the BBC, also paid tribute to him.

"John wasn't only loved by snooker fans around the world, he was loved for what he did on Big Break with Jim Davidson - people watched that show in their millions - and, of course, he did a lot of pantomime," he said.

"He had an awful lot of support there, which was wonderful. There were some lovely words from Brook Leah, his daughter, and Gary, his son."

Another of Virgo's BBC colleagues, 1991 world champion John Parrott, praised him as a "brilliant broadcaster and tremendous commentator, but a great friend".

"[He was] just someone who enhanced the viewing for anybody who tuned in to watch snooker."