Radzi Chinyanganya, the effervescent voice and face of snooker on TNT Sports, has opened up about what it is truly like working with snooker legend Ronnie O'Sullivan. Chinyanganya, 39, began his broadcasting career with the BBC before moving to Eurosport in 2023 and eventually becoming TNT Sports' snooker stable star. He is currently fronting coverage from the Crucible for the World Snooker Championship.
Chinyanganya often works alongside the seven-time world champion O'Sullivan, who was recently knocked out of this year's tournament by John Higgins. In an exclusive interview, Chinyanganya revealed what O'Sullivan is really like away from the cameras and the table.
Ronnie O'Sullivan: A Gentle and Down-to-Earth Character
According to Chinyanganya, O'Sullivan is a wonderfully gentle and considerate man who prefers the company of his non-famous friends. He would much rather enjoy a curry with his mates at a local restaurant than spend time with celebrities like The Rock, Brad Pitt, or Margot Robbie. Chinyanganya described O'Sullivan as the most down-to-earth bloke you are ever likely to meet.
Their conversations rarely revolve around snooker. Instead, they talk about family and boxing, a shared interest. Chinyanganya noted that O'Sullivan is quieter than people might expect, and there is a misconception that he is always in 'performance mode'. He said, 'It must be quite difficult to carry the mantle of the greatest ever. On the table he's The Rocket Ronnie O'Sullivan, and off the table he's Ronald Antonio O'Sullivan, a normal geezer from Essex with an extraordinary skill.'
Chinyanganya added, 'He is generous, considerate, loyal, and a lovely bloke. For me, I don't see him as Ronnie the player, I see him as Ronnie the bloke. In some respects, he's much closer to you and I than perhaps you might think.'
O'Sullivan's Unique Insight into Snooker
O'Sullivan has been providing insight for TNT Sports for years, and Chinyanganya shared instances where the 50-year-old's perspective was hard to comprehend. 'We're talking about Ronnie O'Sullivan, who looks at snooker through a lens that I think we can only imagine,' he said.
One notable example was during the 2023 World Championship semi-final when Luca Brecel trailed Si Jiahui by nine frames. While many thought the match was over, O'Sullivan said off-air, 'Don't write Luca off because Si is untested.' Chinyanganya recalled, 'I thought, 'What?' Well, we know what happened. Unfortunately, Si fell apart and Luca went on an unbelievable run. Ronnie had seen something in Si's body language or Luca's body language. He'd seen shots that he'd refused or taken on when he shouldn't have.'
Another time, Chinyanganya asked O'Sullivan about how a player was performing. O'Sullivan replied, 'Oh, he's playing well mate.' When asked how he knew, O'Sullivan said he could hear it from the other side of a wall. 'He went, 'Oh mate you could hear it. He's been leathering them.' It never occurred to me that you can hear how somebody is playing. You can when you're Ronnie O'Sullivan,' Chinyanganya said.
Chinyanganya concluded, 'This is a guy who can walk from a Rileys snooker club with a five-year-old cloth and bang in a 147, as he can walk into the Crucible Theatre with a brand new cloth of the finest order and produce magic. I personally think he's in the conversation for the greatest British sportsperson ever, not just snooker.'
Fans can follow the closing stages of the World Snooker Championship on TNT Sports.
