‘It's very difficult' – Hazel Irvine speaks out about interviewing Ronnie O'Sullivan on BBC
Hazel Irvine has been the face of snooker coverage for the BBC for over 20 years - and the Scot has had to navigate countless interviews with the enigmatic Ronnie O'Sullivan
Hazel Irvine has been an ever-present figure on BBC for over three decades
(Image: PA )
Hazel Irvine has acknowledged the challenge of interviewing snooker icon Ronnie O'Sullivan - due to his reputation for unfiltered candour.
Irvine, a pioneering female sports broadcaster with the BBC for over three decades, has covered key snooker events, along with the Olympics, Commonwealth Games, and major golf tournaments.
During her conversation on Stephen Hendry's Cue Tips' YouTube channel, the seven-time world champion enquired if any interviewee sets off alarms for her. Hendry himself suggested O'Sullivan, known for his forthright manner.
Irvine shared her insights from years of conversation with the 49-year-old great and spoke about the complexities of engaging with him. "I really enjoy speaking to Ronnie [and] he's been brilliant with us actually," Irvine commented.
"It's very difficult to be in tune with anybody who so readily expresses exactly what they feel and you can feel and see it in his body language. "I think you can read him to an extent, but I love hearing what he has to say.
"I think we're privileged to actually be able to share what he wants to say. I think he's still brilliant for the game and it's still always a real privilege," reports the Mirror. Irvine and O'Sullivan, who often engage in forthright discussions, caught up once again after O'Sullivan's victory in the World Snooker Championship quarter-final triumph against Si Jiahui.
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The snooker great has been known to speak his mind at all times
(Image: Getty Images )
In spite of advancing to the semi-finals, where he faced defeat by Zhao Xintong, the Rocket candidly expressed doubts about his own form, humorously telling the BBC star that his team had essentially given up on him.
While chuckling, he quipped: "Team? I'm unhelpable. I think they've all given up after they've gone through the motions," before acknowledging the instrumental support he's received from sports psychologist Steve Peters.
"Steve has been amazing," O'Sullivan said. "I wouldn't have got round the first round without Steve. He's been incredible. I wouldn't have got through the first round without him I suppose. I've tried to give it my best, which I have, and I'm just hanging in there."
Irvine probed into how vital Peters is to O'Sullivan's performance, asking whether his absence makes a difference and if his presence is something the snooker champion feels he needs. O'Sullivan replied: "If I could afford him then I'd have him every day.
The Scot has worked for the BBC for over three decades
(Image: Getty Images )
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"I'd be like [F1 star] Lance Stroll's dad, just write the check out and he's here full-time. But obviously he's a busy man who I couldn't afford to have full-time. So any little bits I try and time when I can have him."
In the aftermath of his 17-7 defeat to Zhao, O'Sullivan expressed uncertainty about his professional future. "I think I'm going to be moving out of the UK this year. A new life somewhere else.
"I'll still try and play snooker, but I don't know what the future looks like for me really. I'm moving away soon so I'll just see how it goes. There's a lot of more important things in life to worry about than a game of snooker. For me, it's a big part of my life but I've got to try and figure out what my future looks like, whether it's playing or not."
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