Snooker legend Stephen Hendry has revealed he was left in a state of 'complete shock' after learning of John Virgo's death. The iconic commentator died in Spain at the age of 79, with the news confirmed in early February.
Virgo voiced much of Hendry's rise to become a seven-time world champion, and the pair later became colleagues at the BBC. Speaking on the Snooker Club podcast, Hendry said: 'His voice, as we know, has just become synonymous with snooker. I got a call from Ken Doherty while I was in China and it was a complete shock.'
Hendry also recalled Steve Davis's first words on the matter: 'Steve called me [to] say he'd been literally a week working with John [for] four nights [in] great spirits. That was just complete shock.'
Virgo made his BBC commentary debut at the 1985 World Championship and became an iconic part of the sport over four decades. Hendry admitted he is dreading this year's Crucible without him: 'At the moment, I'm not really looking forward to Sheffield. Because the prospect of him not being there, not sharing a commentary box with him is...it's not going to be as enjoyable.'
Shaun Murphy attended Virgo's funeral in Spain on Valentine's Day, posting a photo of the memorial service card on Instagram with the caption 'Goodnight JV.' Former world champion Ken Doherty has arranged a memorial service at Sheffield Cathedral on April 16, described as a 'celebration of John Virgo's life.'
