John Virgo is one of the most recognisable voices in snooker and has been part of the BBC’s coverage of the sport for over 30 years, but his life has been marred by addiction
Snooker fans were overjoyed to see John Virgo return to the commentary box for this year’s World Championship. But his comeback also reminds viewers of what the table legend has had to overcome on his way back to the microphone.
The baize icon will be in attendance as Mark Williams takes on Zhao Xintong in Sunday’s World Championship decider. But there are times when Virgo’s future on the sidelines looked far from certain.
This came after the snooker star grappled with a gambling addiction that he confessed almost destroyed his life. As his tournament earnings began to dwindle, he started to gamble heavily, losing £10,000 betting on horses in just two weeks.
Over six years in the 1980s, he borrowed more than £200,000 against his mortgage to fund his addiction and “keep up the pretence that [he] was successful”. This eventually resulted in the repossession of his three-bedroom house in Surrey, with Virgo surrendering the keys to the mortgage lender.
“It was a vicious circle,” he once told Mirror Sport. “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. 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.”
Virgo also spoke about the culture of gambling embedded within the sport during the early days of his career: “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.”
“I stopped when I realised I was living beyond my means. I rarely bet these days. I did back the Grand National winner though.”
Reflecting on his personal journey alongside his battle with addiction, Virgo disclosed details of his two failed marriages and his children, Gary and Brook-Leah. However, his story takes a hopeful turn after finding happiness with publishing executive Rosie Ries, whom he married in 2009 following a lengthy acquaintance.
“A mate tried to set us up years ago but then his girlfriend said she wouldn’t be interested in me,” said Virgo as he recounted the start of their romance. “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. 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.”
He described their wedding day, his third, as the “best day of my life.” And of their union in general, he added: “It’s been absolutely wonderful.”
It wasn’t long ago it seemed like the now 79-year-old would be retiring for good. That was after it was reported he and fellow snooker legend Dennis Taylor were being put out to pasture at the end of the 2022/23 season.
However, much to the delight of snooker fans worldwide, both Virgo and Taylor were retained by the BBC. Speaking on the Snookered podcast, Virgo shared 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,'” he said. “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 star clinched 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 as a runner-up at the 1980 Champion of Champions and the 1984 Australian Masters before ending his 18-year career in 1994.
He went on to enjoy a successful broadcasting career, landing a co-presenter role on the BBC show Big Break three years before retiring from snooker. The programme, hosted by comedian Jim Davidson with Virgo acting as referee, saw contestants team up with professional players for various snooker-related rounds to win prizes.
It was a massive success, running for 11 years and attracting nearly 14 million viewers at its peak. And this led to other opportunities for Virgo, including book deals, numerous pantomime appearances and even his own line of waistcoats.