Ronnie O'Sullivan's cue maker has EIGHT-YEAR waiting list, charges £3,000 per cue with each taking a year to create
And snooker fans often have to wait for around a year, before forking out around £3000-per-cue from the South London-based workshop.
3
3
3
The world renowned craftsman, who is snooker's answer to Harry Potter wand-maker Garrick Ollivander, is Londoner John Parris.
And O'Sullivan isn't the only famous snooker star on Parris' 40-year client list.
Six-time world champion Steve Davis, Alex Higgins and the legendary Jimmy White have all been visitors over the years.
But O'Sullivan was forced to put in an SOS call to Parris before the start of the 2025 World Championships last month.
The Rocket, 49, was struggling to find a replacement after snapping his previous cue in frustration and chucking it in the bin at the Championship League in January.
And to make matters worse O'Sullivan has been complaining about his cue at the Crucible this week, labelling it as "awful".
But master cue craftsman Parris has opened up about his relationship with O'Sullivan this week.
Parris, 73, told the BBC: "O'Sullivan is not settled. I'm not sure what cue he's coming out with every time he comes through the curtain.
"It could be a different one every day. He's not happy with it but he's managing. We'll get there - we'll get the perfect one in the end."
Parris first designed a cue for O'Sullivan when the upcoming prodigy was just 11 years old.
Ronnie O'Sullivan's match descends into chaos as table BREAKS during World Snooker Championship semi-final
And he and his 14 staff members are now halfway through the nine-month process of crafting what they hope will be O'Sullivan's next long-term cue.
Parris said: "He doesn't change cues very often but he is always saying 'well make me another one just to see if it could be that little bit better'.
"So we normally have one or two on the go somewhere in the background. As I'm going through shafts I'll think 'Ronnie might like this one' and I'll put it to one side for him."
O'Sullivan pulled out of NINE tournaments in-between breaking his cue and deciding to fight for a record eighth world title in Sheffield.
He added: "It was a bit heart breaking when Ronnie broke that last one.
"It was just a tantrum, a rush of blood. It happens I guess. It takes a lot for Ronnie to do that.
"He has got a lot of pressure on him. Everybody wants a piece of him.
"Sometimes if it's a clean break you can put it back together again.
"But this was a real job! It was never going to work. So you just have to say 'oh well, here we go again'."
Parris travels to timber yards across the country and searches through stockpiles of wood looking for high-quality pieces of ash and maple.
O'Sullivan faces Zhao Xintong in World Championship semi-final on Friday.
List of all-time Snooker World Champions
BELOW is a list of snooker World Champions by year.
The record is for the modern era, widely considered as dating from the 1968-69 season, when the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA) took control of the sport.
The first World Championships ran from 1927 - with a break from 1941-45 because of World War II and 1958-63 because of a dispute in the sport.
Joe Davis (15), Fred Davis and John Pulman (both 8) were the most successful players during that period.
Stephen Hendry and Ronnie O'Sullivan share the record for the most titles in the modern era, with seven each.
1969 - John Spencer
1970 - Ray Reardon
1971 - John Spencer
1972 - Alex Higgins
1973 - Ray Reardon (2)
1974 - Ray Reardon (3)
1975 - Ray Reardon (4)
1976 - Ray Reardon (5)
1977 - John Spencer (2)
1978 - Ray Reardon (6)
1979 - Terry Griffiths
1980 - Cliff Thorburn
1981 - Steve Davis
1982 - Alex Higgins (2)
1983 - Steve Davis (2)
1984 - Steve Davis (3)
1985 - Dennis Taylor
1986 - Joe Johnson
1987 - Steve Davis (4)
1988 - Steve Davis (5)
1989 - Steve Davis (6)
1990 - Stephen Hendry
1991 - John Parrott
1992 - Stephen Hendry (2)
1993 - Stephen Hendry (3)
1994 - Stephen Hendry (4)
1995 - Stephen Hendry (5)
1996 - Stephen Hendry (6)
1997 - Ken Doherty
1998 - John Higgins
1999 - Stephen Hendry (7)
2000 - Mark Williams
2001 - Ronnie O'Sullivan
2002 - Peter Ebdon
2003 - Mark Williams (2)
2004 - Ronnie O'Sullivan (2)
2005 - Shaun Murphy
2006 - Graeme Dott
2007 - John Higgins (2)
2008 - Ronnie O'Sullivan (3)
2009 - John Higgins (3)
2010 - Neil Robertson
2011 - John Higgins (4)
2012 - Ronnie O'Sullivan (4)
2013 - Ronnie O'Sullivan (5)
2014 - Mark Selby
2015 - Stuart Bingham
2016 - Mark Selby (2)
2017 - Mark Selby (3)
2018 - Mark Williams (3)
2019 - Judd Trump
2020 - Ronnie O'Sullivan (6)
2021 - Mark Selby (4)
2022 - Ronnie O'Sullivan (7)
2023 - Luca Brecel
2024 - Kyren Wilson
Most World Titles (modern era)
7 - Stephen Hendry, Ronnie O'Sullivan
6 - Ray Reardon, Steve Davis
4 - John Higgins, Mark Selby
3 - John Spencer, Mark Williams
2 - Alex Higgins
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mirror
9 minutes ago
- Daily Mirror
Bake Off judge Prue Leith takes aim at waiter's 'lectures' which ruined romantic meal
Dame Prue Leith, who replaced Mary Berry on The Great British Bake Off in 2017, wanted to eat fish and chips at "what used to be a good pub" but struggled to find it on the menu Bake Off judge Dame Prue Leith blasted a restaurant after a waiter's "lectures" between courses dashed her hopes of a romantic dinner. The veteran broadcaster, who became a judge on The Great British Bake Off in 2017 to replace Mary Berry, slammed restaurants with increasingly complicated menus following her visit to an establishment with her husband. The star recalled she hoped to have an "intimate (I hoped romantic) dinner" but the waiter "gave us a lecture on every course". And so Prue, 85, conceded there was "no chance" of an intimate meal with her partner. The Cordon Bleu-trained chef wrote: "'The night before we got married, my husband-to-be and I went to a Michelin-starred restaurant for an intimate (I hoped romantic) dinner. "No chance of that. The waiter gave us a lecture on every course; we were handed a map of the location of the restaurant's suppliers and expected to read it... And at the end the chef emerged for praise and foodie talk and wouldn't go away." READ MORE: Make Jamie Oliver's fluffy flourless pancakes for the Bank Holiday in just 10 minutes Writing in The Oldie magazine, Prue also said she visited another restaurant - what she described as "what used to be a good pub" - in the hope to have fish and chips. However, the mum of two was unable to find this on the menu at first - until she examined the document more carefully. Prue, who was born in South Africa and moved to London in 1960, wrote: "I ordered 'Sustainability-certified North Sea halibut loin, coated in tempura-style batter made from Hook Norton Ironstone lager and Billy's free-range organic eggs. Served with 'locally grown Maris Piper potatoes, triple-fried in Cotswold Gold corn oil' Translation: fish and chips." And the presenter, who used to be on The Great British Menu, said her experience reflects how she believes eateries are "pandering to foodies". She said: "Pandering to foodies, menu-devisers now write essays on every course. "'Hand-dived Scottish king scallops, daily-picked marsh samphire from the Solway Firth, Arran Victory organic new potatoes' and on and on." The celebrity chef is also a prolific cookbook writer, columnist and author, publishing cookbooks and novels. She has enjoyed a 50-year television career which includes judging BBC's Great British Menu, on which she worked for 10 years. It comes as a restaurant server has been left gobsmacked after being issued with an 'entitled' list of demands for a 'particular' customer. The diner, who has visited their restaurant 22 times, has a particular list of rules and requirements when it comes to eating at their restaurant. Yet, rather than enjoy the experience for what it is, he has tailored it to his own needs, giving little to no regard for others who might be enjoying their dinner alongside him.
Powys County Times
an hour ago
- Powys County Times
Keely Hodgkinson eases to victory in Lausanne
Olympic champion Keely Hodgkinson produced a dominant display to win the women's 800 metres at the Diamond League meet in Lausanne, with British team-mate Georgia Hunter Bell finishing third. Hodgkinson, who has been recovering from a hamstring injury, returned after a 376-day absence in Silesia last weekend to set a world-leading run of one minute and 54.74 seconds, just behind her own national record. With the World Championships in Tokyo coming up next month, Hodgkinson laid down another marker as she made a strong finish in wet conditions to set a new meeting record of 1:55.69. Meeting record for @keelyhodgkinson! The 🇬🇧 star continues her comeback with an impressive 1:55.69 in the rain at #LausanneDL 🇨🇭 #DiamondLeague 📷 @chiaramontesan2 — Wanda Diamond League (@Diamond_League) August 20, 2025 Hunter Bell had been in second place down the home straight but faded in the closing metres as Switzerland's Audrey Werro ran her down to clock 1:57.55. Hodgkinson, 23, had looked in control from the opening part of the race, sitting second behind the pacemaker at the bell, which she took in 56.04 seconds. With only Prudence Sekgodiso for company heading into the final 300m, Hodgkinson soon pulled clear of the South African to coast towards another impressive victory. '(I feel) a little bit relieved,' Hodgkinson told BBC World Service Sport. 'I felt like this race was definitely going to be more of a challenge, but taking on a pace like that you've just got to run and forget about everybody else. 'I'm glad it paid off. I feel like I've really backed up my 1:54 with a solid 1:55. We are seeing improvements all the time, so I'm happy.' Just try and stop them 👊 Keely Hodgkinson clocks in a time of 1:55.69 in the women's 800m for a new meeting record 👏 With Georgia Hunter Bell following closely behind in a time of 1:57.55 🙌 #LausanneDL — British Athletics (@BritAthletics) August 20, 2025 Hodgkinson added: 'I couldn't have asked for a better start – I'm a bit in shock myself. I train well, I train really hard for moments like this, but when it all comes together it makes it extra special. '(My coach) Trevor (Painter) said to me a few weeks ago 'you are actually ahead of schedule. I wanted you to be here by the time we are in Tokyo', so to be here now is amazing. 'Hopefully we can stay healthy and build on top of what we've got, and let's see what can happen.' Hodgkinson's training partner Hunter Bell, meanwhile, must now decide whether to have another crack at the 800m in Tokyo or focus on the 1,500m where she would be looking to add to her Olympic bronze medal from Paris. 'I wanted a bit quicker but it was hard today, hard to recover from the race a few days ago,' she said. 'I don't know (what distance), I'm going to decide this week. I'm running out of time to make a decision. Every day I change my mind.' Conditions worsened as the events went on, with Elise Thorner (9:21.74) finishing fifth in the women's 3,000m steeplechase, which was run through a downpour. Morgan Lake placed fifth in the women's high jump following three failures at 1.91 metres. With the run-up so wet, Ukraine's Olympic champion Yaroslava Mahuchikh decided to retire after two missed attempts. In the women's 200m, Dina Asher-Smith (22.64) was fifth and Daryll Neita (22.73) seventh, with American Brittany Brown winning in 22.23 secs. A first ever #DiamondLeague win for Josh Hoey! A rare defeat for @Olympics champion Emmanuel Wanyonyi in the 800m as Hoey kicks past him to clock 1:42.82. #LausanneDL 🇨🇭 📷 @chiaramontesan2 — Wanda Diamond League (@Diamond_League) August 20, 2025 In the men's 800m, Max Burgin attacked around the final bend but then faded over the closing stages as he finish fourth in 1.43.44. Olympic champion Emmanuel Wanyonyi lost out to American Josh Hoey. Alastair Chalmers ran 49.92secs as he was fifth in the men's 400m hurdles. Men's 100m Olympic champion Noah Lyles came second as Jamaica's Oblique Seville clocked 9.87secs, with Britain's Zharnel Hughes fifth in 10.09.
BBC News
2 hours ago
- BBC News
BBC Northern Ireland reveals Autumn 2025 highlights
With more than 24 hours of scripted drama as well as in-depth documentary and lifestyle programmes, many of them made by independent production companies, the new offering promises a rich mix of content for audiences both locally and across the UK. Eddie Doyle, Senior Head of Content Commissioning, BBC Northern Ireland, says: 'There's a lot to look forward to on BBC Northern Ireland television this autumn and beyond. This high-quality new season of programming will provide a distinctive collection of exciting scripted content, returning favourites, landmark documentaries and a rich blend of lifestyle and factual series – looking at everything from extraordinary homes and gardens to life in our rural communities and coastline towns. 'The programmes reflect life, both past and present, in this part of the world and are a testament to the storytelling and creative talent of this place. We are grateful to Northern Ireland Screen, our BBC network colleagues and local suppliers who have helped us bring these programmes to BBC audiences.' Among the upcoming highlights are the new documentary series Titanic Sinks Tonight and Farm 999 and the return of popular programmes Hope Street and House Of The Year. Drama Leonard And Hungry Paul is a new 6x30 series produced by independent production company Subotica for the BBC and based on the award-winning, best-selling novel of the same name by Rónán Hession and adapted by Richie Conroy and Mark Hodkinson. The show boasts a top tier cast including Alex Lawther (The End Of The F***ing World, ALIEN: EARTH), Laurie Kynaston (Fool Me Once, Sandman) and Jamie-Lee O'Donnell (Derry Girls, Screw). Tall Tales & Murder is a new six-part drama commissioned for two series by BBC Northern Ireland and RTÉ, in association with Screen Ireland. The show is written by Stuart Carolan – the writer and creator of RTÉ's smash-hit crime drama Love/Hate, and is co-created with double EMMY and Directors Guild of America Award winner Chris Addison (The Thick Of It). Tall Tales & Murder is produced by Avalon (Catastrophe) in association with Ireland-based Metropolitan Pictures (KIN). The story is based on the much-loved eight-book Dublin Trilogy by Caimh McDonnell. In the new series of comedy-drama Faithless, Sam Amin (Baz Ashmawy) is still clinging on and coping with life as the solo parent to three headstrong daughters. Series two is produced by Grand Pictures and will star Jamie-Lee O'Donnell (Derry Girls) and Jayne Wisener (Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber Of Fleet Street). In another eventful year of drama, Hope Street returns with series five and reaches a milestone – its 50th episode. There are two new faces in Port Devine: Constable Donal Gallagher, played by Cameron Cuffe (Krypton) and Doctor Sasha Cookson, played by Jenn Murray (The Lovers). Hope Street is made by Long Story TV and is commissioned as part of the partnership between the BBC and Northern Ireland Screen. Documentary BBC Factual and BBC Northern Ireland have commissioned a new four-part series detailing the sinking of the Titanic, with support from Northern Ireland Screen, for BBC Two and BBC iPlayer. Titanic Sinks Tonight is made by Stellify Media. Set in the borderlands between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, The Disappearance Of Captain Nairac is a feature-length documentary which explores how the young officer's life and death echoes the sometimes complex and violent history of the UK and Ireland. The film is made by BAFTA winning director Alison Millar and journalist Darragh Macintyre with support Northern Ireland Screen. Following Hunting The Catfish Crime Gang and Hunting The Cybersex Crime Gang, BBC Northern and BBC Three have commissioned a new documentary film Hunting The Manosphere (WT) in which James Blake goes beneath the surface of the so-called Manosphere to understand how ordinary boys and men are being impacted and affected by online communities. It will be made by Northern Ireland production company Strident with support from Northern Ireland Screen. Kegworth: Flight To Disaster (WT) is a compelling and emotional retelling of a disaster that reshaped aviation safety in the UK — and left lasting scars on those who survived. Girl Fight is a three-part observational documentary series by Below The Radar. It follows female fighters based at a mixed martial arts gym in Ballymena as they strive to overcome hardship both inside and outside the combat sports cage. Surgery In The Sun (WT) is made by Alleycats TV and features journalist Aoife Moore who goes behind the TikTok posts and newspaper headlines to try to understand why more and more people are travelling to Turkey for cosmetic surgery. The Rise Of Hip Hop In Northern Ireland (WT), produced by Lindsay Entertainment and Yolk Films, is a new documentary for BBC Northern Ireland that tells the untold story of a genre 'born from resistance and self-expression' and how it took root in an unlikely corner of the world. Lifestyle Lifestyle Farming can be one of the most dangerous professions in the UK. Farm 999 is a new BBC Daytime and BBC Northern Ireland co-commission, which looks at this often unseen aspect of rural life as farmers strive to feed the nation and protect the environment. The 15-part series is presented by Steph McGovern and made by Stellify Media with support from Northern Ireland Screen. House Of The Year is returning to BBC Northern Ireland and BBC iPlayer, with design expert and TV personality Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen back to host the new series with judges Jane Larmour, James Fairley and Patricia McGinnis. Greatest Gardens is a new series which features award-winning garden designer Diarmuid Gavin and renowned plant expert Carol Klein, who will be joined each week by celebrity guests including Penny Lancaster, Dame Prue Leith, Patrick Grant, Fred Sirieix and Katie Piper. The series is produced by Waddell Media. MM2 Follow for more
