BBC snooker icon makes emotional John Virgo family request in touching tribute | Other | Sport

BBC snooker icon Dennis Taylor made an emotional request to John Virgo’s family before stepping into the commentary booth for the World Snooker Championship. The sport is mourning the loss of Virgo, who died in February at the age of 79. Known as the voice of snooker, he worked right up until his death and was on commentary duties for the Masters just weeks earlier.

A minute’s applause was held at the Crucible in honour of Virgo before the start of play on Saturday. Taylor, who was crowned world champion in 1985, lined up to pay his respects alongside the likes of Steve Davis, Stephen Hendry and Ken Doherty. It was later revealed by BBC presenter Hazel Irvine that Taylor made a special request to Virgo’s family before heading to Sheffield.

Irvine said that Taylor asked if he could use some of Virgo’s famous phrases on air during the tournament, a heartwarming way to show his appreciation for one of snooker’s greatest icons.

Taylor often shared commentary duties with Virgo and was among those to attend a memorial service at Sheffield Cathedral on Thursday.

After the service, he said: “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 had an awful lot of support there, which was wonderful. There were some lovely words from Brook Leah, his daughter, and Gary, his son.”

Irvine, meanwhile, voiced a touching tribute to Virgo during the BBC broadcast before the start of this year’s World Championship on Saturday.

She said: “It was a tremendous shock to all of us. John was universally loved by everyone in this sport and well beyond it, too. John really was the voice of snooker.

“And so while we are all desperately sad here, we’re determined to celebrate this great man’s life and work in this sport.

“We miss him more than we can possibly put into words. It’s as if he’s about to walk into the arena at any minute. But we carry on, and we carry on with gusto because that’s exactly how JV lived his 79 years of life.”

Davis described Virgo as part of the sport’s furniture, saying: “We’re going to miss him dearly. A great commentator but a good friend to us all, he made you feel very special.

“We all thought we were friends with John because he had a great heart and he was funny, sometimes cantankerous but we loved him for that.

“All in all, he was part of snooker’s furniture, he was part of snooker’s history and a wonderful commentator. He got the best out of every match.”