Steve Davis' life off screen including eye-brow raising romance and career change

Edinburgh Live

26-04-2025

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In his heyday, Steve Davis was labelled as the "most boring player in the world" for his snooker prowess.
Emerging in the late 1970s, the London-born snooker legend dominated the sport over the next decade with an impressive haul of six world titles from eight World Championship finals and maintaining the world number one spot for seven years straight, all accomplished through a straightforward, no-frills approach that saw him dispatch rivals at the table.
His demeanour stood in stark contrast to the flamboyant personas of contemporaries like Jimmy White, even earning him the parody moniker 'Interesting' on the show Spitting Image.
But as his playing days wound down, Davis began to embrace his perceived image. Post-retirement in 2016, he has built a reputation beyond the baize.
He's now widely recognised for his commentary and punditry on the BBC's snooker coverage, yet there's an unexpected side to the 67 year old that extends well beyond the green felt, reports Wales Online.
Surprise career change.
Beyond the snooker hall, Davis has spun tracks as a successful DJ and musician, taking his beats to venues nationwide.
After retiring from the snooker world, the prog rock aficionado, who boasts a collection of over 10,000 records, ventured into music by forming an electro band named the Utopia Strong with musician Kavus Torabi and has since recorded two albums.
His musical journey didn't stop there; he's played techno sets at the iconic Glastonbury Festival, supported Blur at Wembley Stadium, and has been involved in producing various other music projects.
In a candid chat with the Mirror, Davis described his career shift as "ridiculous" revealing: "I didn't know my life would turn out like this. You haven't got a clue.
"My life seems to have gone in reverse. I started off as a snooker player ­practising for eight hours a day in a dark room, and I ended up at Glastonbury DJing. You just don't know what is going to happen."
Reflecting on his experience at Glastonbury, he said: "I come from another world. The snooker world is not that way so it passed me by. Music is my drug of choice."
Davis' involvement in music predates his DJing days, having begun hosting a soul and rock show on Brentwood's Phoenix FM back in 1996. He even teamed up with Chas and Dave for 'Snooker Loopy' as part of 'The Matchroom Mob', which included fellow snooker stars Terry Griffiths, Tony Meo, Dennis Taylor, and Willie Thorne.
Beyond the green baize, the 67 year old has demonstrated his diverse talents, participating in the World Pool League and holding the position of president of the British Chess Federation from 1996 to 2001.
Davis tied the knot with former Concorde flight attendant Judy Greig back in 1990, and the couple welcomed two sons, Greg and Jack.
But after a decade and a half, in 2005, they parted ways amidst Davis's admission that Judy "met someone else".
He later reflected to MailOnline on his potential role in the marital breakdown, musing, "Perhaps I was giving the table a bit too much attention," and confessing, "I was difficult to live with. But so are all sports people - horrible. We're all 'Me, me, me!' And so selfish!".
This separation came ten years after a British tabloid paid dancer Cheree Palla, then 19, a hefty sum over £30,000 to spill the beans on her supposed short-lived fling with 39 year old Davis.
Years later, now working as a beauty therapist, Palla suggested their intimate encounters were frequent, nicknaming him "king of the bedroom".
Reacting to the past scandal, Davis conveyed a nonchalant attitude: "I wasn't a politician, I was a snooker player - I was only an ambassador of that sport," adding "So I didn't lose much sleep over it in the end really."
He jested further about his reputation, "It's not like I had people all over the place. I think my street cred went up quite a lot actually".
Despite the incident, Judy initially forgave him, but ten years on, they divorced. Davis would later find love with Jeannie Nash, an accounts worker 16 years his junior.
Given his illustrious career, it's hardly shocking that Davis ranks among snooker's elite, not just in talent, but also in wealth.
Over the course of his career, he raked in over £5.6 million in winnings, and lucrative endorsements arranged by manager Barry Hearn saw him become the UK's highest paid sportsperson in the latter half of the 1980s.
However, reports suggest that Davis' net worth is significantly higher since he transitioned into commentary and other ventures post-retirement, with his net worth reported to be a whopping £26.5 million.