A snooker fan was ejected from the Crucible Theatre on Saturday night after shouting about the infamous Epstein Files during the World Snooker Championship semi-final. The incident occurred in the deciding 33rd frame of the match between Northern Ireland's Mark Allen and China's Wu Yize.
Disruption at the Crucible
As Wu, 22, prepared to take his shot, a spectator shouted, "Never forget the Epstein Files," referencing Jeffrey Epstein, the late financier and convicted sex offender. The man repeated the shout before German referee Marcel Eckardt ordered his removal. "Can you get this person out please? Now please," Eckardt said, as other audience members also demanded the fan be ejected.
The culprit, who was photographed being escorted out but has not been identified, caused a brief interruption. Fortunately, the disruption did not affect Wu's composure. He went on to secure a remarkable 17-16 victory over Allen, who missed a routine black ball shot that would have sent him to the final.
Wu's Victory and Final Berth
Wu will now face 2005 champion Shaun Murphy in the final, scheduled for 1pm on Sunday. Speaking to BBC Two, the 22-year-old admitted he felt "lucky" to have won. "I feel I am still not recovering from the nerves," Wu said. "I feel sorry for Mark. I felt like I was losing the match, especially the second black in that frame. But I was able to take the opportunity."
He added, "I gave myself too much pressure in the second session because I was having a big lead in the first session. I wanted to keep the lead down. In the last session I made some mistakes in safety play and then towards the end I was lucky."
Allen's Disappointment
Mark Allen, who has never played in a World Championship final, lamented his missed chance. "You don't deserve to be in a world final if you are missing a ball like that, it's just pure pressure," Allen said. "I had two or three good chances to close out the match but didn't do it. Even though I'm devastated to lose that match, I think the right person is in the world final. I wished him good luck, said he played very well. I think he's going to be a world champion."
Wu aims to become only the second Chinese player to win snooker's biggest prize, following Zhao Xintong's 2025 triumph. Zhao's title defence ended earlier this tournament against Murphy in the quarter-finals, continuing the so-called 'Crucible curse'.
