John Virgo’s daughter makes emotional BBC appearance after Murphy gesture | Other | Sport

His daughter, Brook-Leah Murrells, made a special journey to the Crucible this year and thanked the entire sporting world for their support, including finalist Murphy, who Brook-Leah revealed had ensured tickets were available for the entire Virgo family should they wish to attend the final.

BBC host Hazel Irvine introduced the segment, with Brook-Leah joined backstage by reporter Abigail Davies, and said: “We had an amazing moment just before we came on air here in the Crucible theatre.

“Our old friend John Virgo, who passed away in February, we have been marking his passing with some great memories for the whole of the championship – that’s his son Gary – and his daughter Brook-Leah is in the audience as well. A massive standing ovation, smiles all around, and indeed Brook-Leah is with Abigail Davies on a momentous night.”

Brook-Leah said: “I am so proud. It’s amazing, this is our snooker family, what an honour to be here and we have been looked after like royalty. We are so grateful and proud doesn’t even touch what we feel about our dad.

“I have probably spent 11 weeks crying so it [reaction to the standing ovation] does not bode well, but the warmth and the stories that everyone [has], you really feel like everyone is going through this loss. It was emotional, inevitably never to be done again, it was something special.”

She revealed that it was actually her first visit to the Crucible and the reason why she and her family decided to come.

“We found it quite difficult, myself and my family,” Brooke-Leah admitted. “Obviously listening to the snooker, he’s missing, and it’s hard for us.

“But Shaun Murphy is a very good friend of our family and he has been messaging all of us, checking in. He flew to Spain for my dad’s private family funeral, he means a lot to us.

“So this morning we woke up at 7am, me, my brother and knew we had to get in that car. So we drove here to be with him and Jo and be a family, that’s what we are.

“I have been saying it all day, every day, ‘how lucky are we to have this guy as our dad?’. What a legend, the voice, keep him alive. It means everything to me and my family, everything.”