BBC star John Virgo had house repossessed amid addiction struggle and two failed marriages
BBC star John Virgo had house repossessed amid addiction struggle and two failed marriages
The legendary snooker commentator has overcome personal struggles to become a fan favourite on the BBC
Virgo is a popular member of the BBC snooker team
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He is widely known as the voice of snooker and has been part of the BBC's coverage of the sport for over 30 years.
John Virgo is back in the commentary box for another World Snooker Championship at the Crucible this year, with fans set to hear plenty of his iconic one-liners and catchphrases - including the famous 'where's the cue ball going?' - over the course of the tournament.
A couple of years ago, it looked as though the now 79-year-old would be hanging up his microphone for good, having admitted that he and snooker legend Dennis Taylor would be making their final appearances in the commentary box at the end of the 2022/23 season.
However, to the delight of snooker fans everywhere, Virgo and Taylor were kept on by the BBC, with the former telling the Snookered podcast that they are now set to stay "for the foreseeable future".
'I spoke to one of the producers and I said 'well you know it'll be my last year'," Virgo explained. "And he said 'no no no, we're not going to do that now. We're going to stay as we are for the foreseeable future', which was fantastic.'
As a player, the Salford-born player won four professional titles, including the 1979 UK Championship, the 1980 Bombay International and the 1984 Professional Snooker League. He was part of the sport's Top 16 for seven seasons and finished runner-up at the 1980 Champion of Champions and the 1984 Australian Masters, before calling time on his 18-year professional career in 1994.
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He would go on to have a hugely successful career in broadcasting, having started a new role as co-presenter of BBC show Big Break three years before his retirement from snooker.
The programme - which was presented by comedian Jim Davidson with Virgo starring as a referee - saw contestants team up with professional players to compete in various snooker-related rounds in order to win prizes.
It proved a huge hit, running for 11 years with viewing figures peaking at almost 14 million people, and led to other breaks for Virgo, who signed book deals, made numerous pantomime appearances and even released his own range of waistcoats.
However, it came after the snooker star wrestled with a gambling addiction that he admits came close to ruining his life. As his tournament earnings began to slump, he began to gamble heavily and, at the height of his addiction, he lost £10,000 betting on horses in the space of a fortnight.
Over six years in the 1980s, he borrowed more than £200,000 against his mortgage in order to fund the addiction and "keep up the pretence that [he] was successful". It ultimately led to his three-bedroom house in Surrey being repossessed, with Virgo handing the keys back to the mortgage lender.
He told the Mirror: "It was a vicious circle. I was doing commentary for the BBC and had exhibition work but if you're not winning you are not earning as much. And when you're seen as a successful sportsman, people assume you're earning a good living.
'There was pressure on me to have the newest car, a more expensive holiday. It was all about keeping up appearances. When the results weren't coming on the snooker table, I tried to supplement things by gambling on horses even more. I went through a period when I was addicted to gambling.
'It was a compulsion that I struggled to get to grips with. By 1990, it was in danger of ruining my life," Virgo added. 'I was borrowing against the mortgage just to keep up the pretence that I was successful. Looking back, I see it was crazy. I think a lot of players may have had issues with gambling.
'You are brought up in that environment – hustling in the snooker clubs to earn a few quid and, if there was no one to play, you'd go in the bookies."
On how he came to stop gambling, he explained: "I stopped when I realised I was living beyond my means. I rarely bet these days. I did back the Grand National winner though."
Virgo's battle with addiction came against the backdrop of two failed marriages, from which he has a son, Gary, and a daughter, Brook-Leah. However, he found love again with publishing executive Rosie Ries, a friend of a friend who he had known for two decades, and they married in 2009.
'A mate tried to set us up years ago but then his girlfriend said she wouldn't be interested in me," he explained. "I was so frightened of a knock-back, I didn't ask her for out for 22 years. By then I'd lived on my own for five years and I needed that time to re-centre myself.
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'But eventually we went on a date. I used my wit, charm and repartee on her and, blow me down, two months later we got engaged."
Describing his third wedding day as the "best day of my life," he added: "It's been absolutely wonderful.'
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