Dennis Taylor's earnings, BBC U-turn and backlash, snooker rival who said he'd have him shot

Wales Online

04-05-2025

Dennis Taylor's earnings, BBC U-turn and backlash, snooker rival who said he'd have him shot
The lowdown on snooker legend Dennis Taylor's life on and off the table as he prepares to commentate on another World Championship final at the Crucible
Dennis Taylor remains a hugely popular figure in snooker circles
(Image: Getty Images )
Dennis Taylor's dulcet tones will be heard during this weekend's World Snooker Championship final.
The former Crucible champion remains one of the most popular figures in the sport and is still going strong at the age of 76. Along with beating Steve Davis in the 'Black Ball Final' of 1985, Taylor is best known for his unique upside-down glasses, which played a vital part in that triumph.
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A massive 40 years on from his greatest moment on the baize, Taylor is still touring the country with Davis and fellow legend John Virgo, talking about snooker's most famous match and his career in general.
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Meanwhile, he imparts his wit and wisdom from the BBC commentary box during Triple Crown events, including the current World Championship. Here's the lowdown on Taylor, including his career earnings, being the centre of a BBC U-turn and his infamous run-in with fellow Northern Irishman Alex Higgins…
Career earnings
According to CueTracker, Taylor earned just shy of £1.5million during a professional career that began in 1972 and concluded in 2000. His 1985 world title saw him bank £60,000, the equivalent of £183,000 in today's money, per the Bank of England currency calculator. This year's winner will collect £500,000. Taylor also won the Masters in 1987, staging a dramatic fightback to beat Higgins to net £51,000.
The 1985 world final between Steve Davis and Taylor remains the most-watched match in snooker history
(Image: SSPL/Getty Images )
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BBC backlash and U-turn
Taylor's days in the commentary box looked numbered in 2022 when Virgo announced that the BBC planned to drop the pair, only for the corporation to have a change of heart after a public backlash from snooker fans. The pair were backed by veteran pro-turned-commentator Joe Perry, who has worked alongside both.
'I've worked with Virgo and Dennis and what they know, doesn't come cheaply, that's years and years of experience,' he told the Metro. 'They might miss a few tricks with some shots that some boys play today but they do know their stuff and they're excellent at their job.
'Commentary isn't just what's going on on the table, there's introducing the frames, closing the frames out, creating the drama and they're excellent at that. We might understand the modern game a bit better, but we've got a lot to learn from them on that part of the job.'
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Taylor continues to commentate with John Virgo after a BBC U-turn
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Family life
Lancashire-based Taylor has three children with first wife Patricia, a daughter called Denise and two sons, Damian and Brendan.
The couple divorced, with Taylor partly putting the breakdown of the marriage down to the demands on him after winning the world title. He remarried in 2001 to Louise, with the couple having a son, Cameron, and a daughter, Amber.
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Shooting threat
Like most top players in the 1980s, Taylor had a stormy relationship with the sport's biggest hellraiser, Alex 'Hurricane' Higgins. However, their relationship took a particularly threatening twist when Higgins threatened to have Taylor shot following a dispute at the 1990 World Cup, where they played together for Northern Ireland.
After losing a frame, Higgins wanted to go back to the table and take Taylor's turn, which was against tournament rules. The Hurricane was left furious and took his anger out on Taylor, saying: "The next time you go back home I'm going to have you shot."
Alex Higgins and Taylor at the height of their rivalry
(Image: Independent News)
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The exchange was overheard by journalists and became a major news story. Addressing the incident and their general relationship, Taylor told the Belfast Telegraph in 2004 as Higgins, who died in 2010, battled cancer: 'There was some nastiness between us then, I can't deny that.
"But I've got nothing but good feelings for Alex now - and I wish him all the best in his battle against cancer. The ill-feeling we once had has long gone."