John Virgo obituary

2026-02-05 - 13:35

Snooker player and commentator whose geniality behind the mic and on the BBC gameshow Big Break made him a popular figure John Virgo, who has died aged 79, made his name through snooker, but found fame through television – chiefly in the form of the Big Break game show on BBC1, which attracted millions of viewers in the 1990s. Having had a respectable but non-stellar career on the green baize, Virgo transitioned to the small screen as a referee in the snooker-based Big Break, which was hosted by the comedian Jim Davidson and ran in a prime-time Saturday evening slot from 1991 to 2002, attracting up to 14 million viewers per episode at its peak. Continue reading...