LEGENDARY commentator John Virgo is set to return to the World Snooker Championships this year to give his verdict on the likely winner.
For 17 days each year, the very best on the planet undergo a test of endurance, skill, and mental toughness to win snooker’s most famous and coveted trophy.
The former professional snooker player was born in Salford on March 4, 1946.
Virgo’s first notable appearance at a major tournament came during the 1973 American Pool Tournament for The Indoor League, where he lost in the semi-final.
Three years later, he turned professional at the age of 30, which made him one of the youngest players on the circuit at the time.
In 1977, he advanced to the semi-finals of the UK Championship but was defeated by the eventual winner Patsy Fagan.
From 1991 to 2002, Virgo was known for his appearances as co-presenter of the snooker-based TV game show Big Break with Jim Davidson.
When asked by Davidson to explain the first round rules, he was known for his catchphrase: “Pot as many balls as you can.”
Virgo has a son from his first marriage and a daughter from the second, blaming himself for their breakdown.
He revealed that as his tournament earnings slumped, he began to gamble heavily.
He once lost £10,000 on the horses in a fortnight and, over six years in the late ’80s, borrowed more than £200,000 against his mortgage.
Virgo divorced his first wife Avril in the early 1990s.
He later married book publisher Rosie Ries in 2009.
The 2024 Cazoo World Snooker Championship takes place from April 20 to May 6, 2024 at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield, England.
Virgo had previously admitted that he and Dennis Taylor would be making their final appearances in the commentary box at the end of the 2022/23 season.
However, the 78-year-old told the BBC podcast Snookered: “Well from what I’ve heard recently that’s not going to happen.
“I spoke to one of the producers and I said ‘well you know it’ll be my last year…’ and he said ‘no no no, we’re not going to do that now. We’re going to stay as we are for the foreseeable future.’ Which was fantastic.”
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Virgo’s career reached its peak in 1979 as he not only advanced to the semi-finals of the World Championship but also clinched the title at the 1979 UK Championship.
He managed to beat the reigning world champion Terry Griffiths in the final.
During the 1979 to 1980 season, he achieved his top ranking as the world number 10.
At one point, Virgo admitted to having a house that would now probably be “worth three-quarters of a million pounds.”
Speaking to the Daily Mail, he said: “I got into a terrible state financially. I remortgaged and remortgaged, but eventually my home – a three-bedroom detached house in Surrey – was repossessed and I handed the keys back to the mortgage lender.”
The former snooker player said he was not a multi-millionaire by any means, but while working for Big Break he said he did not have to worry about the pennies.
He added: “It was a vicious circle.
“When you’re seen as a successful sportsman, people assume you’re earning a good living.
“When the results weren’t coming on the snooker table, I tried to supplement things by gambling on horses even more. I went through a period when I was addicted to gambling.
“It was a compulsion that I struggled to get to grips with. By 1990, it was in danger of ruining my life.”
