Snooker
Famous Snooker Commentators & Pundits: The Voices of the Sport
Snooker is regularly broadcast on terrestrial television and therefore, it is a sport that is widely available to the masses.
BBC snooker coverage is still led by the likes of Dennis Taylor, while Stephen Hendry remains one of the most recognisable pundits around the sport.
Ronnie O’Sullivan also features in TV analysis, but his punditry is tied more closely to TNT Sports than the BBC. For viewers comparing match lines and tournament prices, that matters because the biggest championships often come with shifting odds, and the commentary team is part of the theatre that surrounds them.
Eurosport’s snooker identity was built on comprehensive coverage and a slightly eccentric, completist style that made the channel feel different from the more formal BBC presentation.
That heritage now sits under the TNT Sports banner in the UK and Ireland, which is why many viewers still refer to the same snooker voices as Eurosport commentators, even though the branding has changed.
Steve Davis
One of the greatest British snooker players of all-time, Steve Davis has been involved in commentary since retiring from the sport in 2016. His voice is instantly recognisable and his punditry is second to none.
Incredibly successful throughout his professional career, he’s now enjoyed just as much success on television and in the snooker commentary box.
Ken Doherty
Like Davis, Ken Doherty was one of the players of his generation – winning the Snooker World Championship in 1997 and he was still at the top of his game a decade later, climbing to number two in the world rankings.
He first tried his hand at snooker commentary during the 2009 Masters tournament and it turns out he’s pretty good at it. Since then, he’s been a pundit on several television channels.
Dennis Taylor
Reports surfaced in 2022 that the BBC wanted to replace Dennis Taylor and John Virgo – two absolute legends of the snooker commentary booth – but that announcement was met with immediate criticism.
The channel was quick to reverse that decision and both remain leading figures when it comes to snooker coverage. Taylor enjoyed a 28-year professional career before hanging up his cue but he remains heavily involved in the sport.
John Virgo
John Virgo is one of the most recognisable snooker commentators, keeping snooker fans on the edge of their seat with his own dramatic style.
Commentating on the sport since the 1980s, Virgo is renowned for the phrase “Where’s the cue ball going” which he seems to say whenever the white is heading close to one of the pockets.
Alan McManus
Alan McManus retired in 2021 but he’s quickly blossomed into one of the top snooker commentators around, appearing on BBC, ITV and Eurosport.
He is one of the most insightful former players around and it has been a very smooth transition from player to commentator for the two-time ranking event winner.
Jimmy White
One of snooker’s most charismatic figures, Jimmy White was an entertainer during his playing career and his style of punditry has been interesting to listen to.
He isn’t on television too often – though he did make an appearance on ITV show, I’m A Celebrity: Get Me Out Of Here back in 2009. He’s always worth a listen.
Joe Johnson
Joe Johnson’s spell at the top of world snooker was short but sweet, with his success as a qualifier at the 1986 World Championship attracting attention from around the world.
Johnson has been one of the leading voices in snooker commentary for some time, with a well-publicised spat with John Higgins in 2013. However, he remains a key contributor in the booth.
John Parrott
A world champion in the early 1990s, John Parrott has been one of the faces on the BBC snooker coverage for most of the 21st century.
He is regularly in the television studio, offering expert advice and analysis on ongoing matches while he also demonstrates certain shots on the practice tables. He is well used to the TV cameras, having featured on A Question Of Sport for many years.
Stephen Hendry
The only player left alongside Ronnie O’Sullivan in the ‘greatest snooker player of all-time debate’, Stephen Hendry is a seven-time world champion and he is now one of the sport’s top figures in the mainstream media.
Hendry may be a tad abrupt – and possibly harsh – but his style of punditry seems to have gone down well with snooker fans of all generations. He says it how it is and he’ll hopefully be around in the commentary box for years to come.
Who commentates on the World Snooker Championship?
The BBC’s 2026 World Snooker Championship presentation team featured Hazel Irvine, Seema Jaswal, Rishi Persad, and Catrin Heledd, with reporting from Shabnam Younus-Jewell.
The broadcast also leaned on its long-standing pundit group, which has traditionally included Dennis Taylor, Steve Davis, John Parrott, Ken Doherty, and Stephen Hendry.
TNT Sports covered the event with its own familiar snooker voices, including former regular World Snooker Championship odds favourite Ronnie O’Sullivan, Stephen Hendry, Alan McManus, Jimmy White, Neal Foulds, and other regular broadcast analysts associated with the former Eurosport snooker team.
Famous Snooker Catchphrases
Snooker commentary has always lived off a few brilliant lines that stick in the memory long after the frame is finished.
- John Virgo – “Where’s the cue ball going?”
- Ted Lowe – “And for those of you who are watching in black and white, the pink is next to the green.”
- Ted Lowe – “He is getting on a bit and is having trouble getting his leg over.”
- Dennis Taylor – long associated with calm, measured final-frame analysis rather than one single immortal slogan.
- Stephen Hendry – “He says it how it is” has become the shorthand for his straight-talking punditry style.
Why these voices matter to snooker betting
Snooker is one of those sports where the broadcast mood can shape how viewers read a match. A sharp tactical breakdown can make a favourite look vulnerable, while a confident commentary team can underline just how much pressure a player is under. That matters when you are weighing up odds, especially in live betting markets where frame swings happen quickly.
If you are following a tournament at William Hill, the smartest approach is still to treat commentary as insight, not prophecy.
Use the analysis to sharpen your view, and then back it with disciplined staking and the current prices on offer. For safer gambling guidance, visit www.begambleaware.org.
