Stephen Hendry stunned by John Virgo’s death and Steve Davis call | Other | Sport
Snooker legend Stephen Hendry has confessed he was left in a state of “complete shock” after learning John Virgo had died. It was confirmed in early February that the iconic commentator had died in Spain at the age of 79.
The news caused a ripple effect throughout the snooker world. Virgo voiced much of Hendry’s ascent to become a seven-time world champion, while the pair had also become colleagues at the BBC in more recent years. The Scot also revealed Steve Davis‘ first words on the matter after Virgo’s death became public knowledge. And it summed up the widespread sense of mourning that everyone associated with the sport was going through at the time. Speaking on the Snooker Club podcast, Hendry said: “His voice, as we know, has just become synonymous with snooker. I got a call from Ken Doherty while I was in China and it was a complete shock.
“And literally two weeks before, I’d been in the box with him at the final of the Masters. Steve called me [to] say he’d been literally a week working with John [for] four nights [in] great spirits. That was just complete shock.”
Virgo earned acclaim as co-presenter on Big Break throughout the 1990s. However, he made his BBC commentary debut at the 1985 World Championship and went on to become an iconic part of the furniture over the next four decades.
As a result, Hendry went on to say he’s partly dreading this year’s Crucible. The occasion won’t be the same without Virgo playing his regular role from the sidelines and his former colleague is acurely aware just how much he’ll be missed.
“At the moment, I’m not really looking forward to Sheffield,” he continued. “Because the prospect of him not being there, not sharing a commentary box with him is…it’s not going to be as enjoyable.”
Former world champion Doherty has also arranged a memorial service to be held in Sheffield on April 16, just ahead of this year’s World Snooker Championship. The congregation takes place at Sheffield Cathedral and is described as a “celebration of John Virgo’s life.”
It’s a testament to Virgo’s enduring legacy that so many elite figures in the world of snooker have paid tribute in the wake of his death. And despite enduring health struggles in the past, it’s clear no-one was expecting the tragic news.
This year’s World Championship will carry special significance as a result, with a big presence certain to be missing from the commentary box. And it may hit Hendry harder than most as he’ll be missing one of his usual partners on the sport’s biggest stage.
