John Virgo facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
John Virgo

Virgo in 2003
Born	(1946-03-04)4 March 1946 Salford, Lancashire, England
Died	4 February 2026(2026-02-04) (aged 79) Spain
Sport country	England
Professional	1976–1994
Highest ranking	10 (1979/80)
Best ranking finish	Semi-final (x4)

John Trevor Virgo (born March 4, 1946 – died February 4, 2026) was a famous English professional snooker player and TV commentator. He became a professional player in 1976 when he was 30 years old. During his career, he won four big professional titles. One of his most famous wins was the 1979 UK Championship, where he beat the world champion Terry Griffiths. John Virgo also reached the semi-finals of the World Snooker Championship in 1979. He stopped playing professionally in 1994.

After his playing career, Virgo became very well-known for his work on television. He co-hosted the popular show Big Break with Jim Davidson from 1991 to 2002. He was also a much-loved commentator for the BBC, known for his fun catchphrases and impressions of other players. In 2023, he was honored by being added to the World Snooker Tour Hall of Fame. John Virgo passed away in Spain in February 2026, at the age of 79.

Snooker Career

Becoming a Snooker Star

John Virgo started playing snooker at the Potters Club in Salford. He quickly became known for winning many important matches. As a young amateur player, he won the National Under-16 Championship in 1962 and the National Under-19 Championship in 1965. He represented England in amateur championships fifteen times!

In 1975, he reached the final of the Pontins Open, but lost to the world champion Ray Reardon. Even though he had a 25-point head start (meaning he started each game with 25 points already), Reardon was too strong. In 1976, he won the Coral Pairs Championship with his friend Paul Medati.

Turning Professional

John Virgo became a professional snooker player in 1976. He was 30 years old, which was a bit older than some other new players at the time. That same year, he made his first maximum break against Roy Andrewartha. A maximum break is when a player pots every ball perfectly in one turn, scoring the highest possible points in a single frame (game).

In 1979, John Virgo had a fantastic year. He reached the semi-finals of the World Championship, which is one of the biggest snooker tournaments. He almost made another maximum break in one of his games but just missed the last black ball. Later that year, he won the 1979 UK Championship. This was a huge victory! He beat the reigning world champion Terry Griffiths in a very close final, winning 14-13. He even had two frames (games) taken away from him because he was late for a session, but he still managed to win!

In October 1980, he was the runner-up in the Champion of Champions tournament. He also reached his highest ever ranking, becoming the world number 10 player during the 1979–80 season.

John Virgo won the first-ever Professional Snooker League in 1984. He played incredibly well, losing only one of his eleven matches. The prize was supposed to be £50,000 and a special gold cue, but unfortunately, the sponsor ran out of money, and he didn't receive anything for his win.

He continued to play in major tournaments, reaching the semi-finals of the British Open in 1986. He even beat the famous Steve Davis in the same event in 1987. From 1987 to 1989, John Virgo was the chairman of the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA), which is like the main organization for professional snooker.

By 1993, John Virgo found it hard to practice enough because he was so busy with his TV show, Big Break. He decided not to enter the 1994 World Championship, which marked the end of his professional playing career.

Television Career

Trick Shots and Impressions

John Virgo was not just a great player; he was also a fantastic entertainer! During his snooker shows, he would perform amazing trick shots (clever ways to pot balls) and funny impressions of other snooker players. He got the idea from watching another player, Jackie Rea, do impressions.

He first showed his act on TV during the 1982 World Championship. He became very popular, and his TV routines helped him get more work doing shows.

Big Break TV Show

From 1991 to 2002, Virgo was the co-presenter of a fun snooker game show called Big Break. He worked alongside comedian Jim Davidson. The show involved three contestants teaming up with three professional snooker players. They played different rounds to win prizes.

John Virgo had a famous catchphrase on the show: "pot as many balls as you can!" He would say this when explaining the rules of the first round. In another part of the show, he would demonstrate a trick shot, and a contestant would try to copy it to win a prize.

Snooker Commentator

John Virgo also became a well-loved snooker commentator, working primarily for the BBC. He started commentating at the 1985 World Snooker Championship. He was known for his unique voice and memorable catchphrases. For example, if the cue ball (the white ball you hit) looked like it might go into a pocket (which is a foul in snooker), he would often exclaim, "Where's the cue ball going?!" Another one of his famous lines was, "There's always a gap," which he would say when players managed to hit a ball that seemed impossible to reach.

In April 2023, John Virgo was recognized for his amazing contributions to snooker and was inducted into the World Snooker Tour Hall of Fame. His final broadcast as a commentator was during the 2026 Masters final, just one day before he passed away.

Other Activities

John Virgo was involved in many other interesting projects. In 1985, he bought a share in a racehorse named Jokist. Because of the success of Big Break, he even created his own line of snooker waistcoats (vests) that were sold in stores.

He also wrote three books. One was a tribute to fellow snooker player Alex Higgins, called Let Me Tell You About Alex (2011). He also released Amazing Snooker Trick Shots (2012) and his autobiography, Say Goodnight, JV (2017), named after another of his catchphrases from Big Break.

In 2012, Virgo featured as himself in Nicholas Gleaves' debut radio play Sunk, where he helped a young man achieve his dream of becoming a snooker champion. He also worked with a pool and snooker table company called Liberty Games to create online trick shot videos called the Trick Shot Academy. In 2014, he released a trick shot app for phones and tablets.

Personal Life

John Virgo was born in Salford, England. His father, William, worked as a dockyard crane driver, and his mother, Florence, was a shop assistant. He was the fifth of their children. He left school at 15 to work as a delivery boy.

During his playing career, John Virgo faced financial challenges related to betting. He worked hard to overcome these difficulties.

He had a family, including two children. In 2009, he married Rosie Ries, a publishing executive. In 2020, John and Rosie moved to the Costa del Sol in Spain. The warmer weather there helped with a long-standing neck injury he had.

John Virgo passed away in Spain on February 4, 2026, at the age of 79.

See also

In Spanish: John Virgo para niños