The daughter of the late John Virgo contacted the snooker icon's close friend and colleague Jim Davidson on the day of his death. Virgo's passing at 79 was confirmed today, sparking tributes from across the sporting world.
The BBC commentator and former Big Break host died at his Spanish home, surrounded by family, only a matter of weeks after he commentated on the Masters at Alexandra Palace. Snooker stars past and present were stunned by the loss of the man widely regarded as the voice of the sport.
Davidson, recognised for his controversial comedic approach, has now paid his own tribute. He developed an unlikely friendship with Virgo while they co-hosted the Big Break on the BBC for more than a decade.
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The programme, which matched contestants with professional players to compete in various snooker-based rounds for prizes, became a huge success during the 1990s, with viewing figures reaching nearly 14 million people. With Davidson presenting and Virgo refereeing, the duo, despite their contrasting characters - Virgo once described them as "a crafty Conservative comedian and a dour northern socialist" - formed a genuine bond.
The pair continued their professional partnership even after the programme's final episode aired in 2002. In a heartfelt tribute video posted on his YouTube channel, Davidson disclosed he had spoken to the late snooker legend's daughter earlier that morning.
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Davidson said: "Hello everybody, you know what I'm here for, don't you? Just to speak about the tragic news this morning, which I've only just received, that my friend JV, John Virgo has passed away. 79 years of age.
"My mate Mark called me and said, 'Have you seen the news?' I thought 'Oh God, what now? What have the Beckhams done, what has Epstein done?' But no, John Virgo has passed away. His daughter just called me, his beautiful daughter, Brooke-Leah. Everybody is in shock.
"He died at 5 o'clock this morning, it's now 10 o'clock UK time. John lived in Spain with Rosie. It's a cliche but our thoughts and minds and hearts go out to Brooke-Leah and Gary and the children."
Looking back on their initial meeting, Davidson said: "Great bloke, John. I first met him at a racecourse and we got chatting. He had a racehorse, we liked the races. He was a staunch Northerner from Salford, a Labour supporter."
Davidson's phone then began ringing, leading him to add: "My phone is ringing off the hook now with people, GB News want to speak to me in a minute. Do I really want to be one of those people who does this, 'I knew him well?' I'm just going to do this and GB News, that's it.
"I did know him well, I was asked to do a show about snooker called Big Break. The pilot was done by the late Mike Reid and there was no John Virgo. I said, 'OK, I'll do it, but I want this guy called John Virgo.' They said, 'Who?' and I said 'You'll love him.'
"He didn't even audition, he just turned up. We got on like a house on fire, he did pantomime with me, he did my TV shows and only last week I spoke to him about coming down to Ustreme Studios to take part in my 50-year anniversay since New Faces."
Davidson continued: "He was a great bloke, we were like chalk and cheese but we got on great and he was funny. He was a great snooker player, he was a great dad and he was a great bloke. See you, JV."
