John Virgo's cause of death as Jim Davidson received distressing phone call
John Virgo has been sorely missed at the Crucible Theatre this year as the World Snooker Championship hurtles towards its conclusion, just months after his passing at the age of 79.The legendary snooker figure passed away in Spain on February 4, leaving fans and colleagues across the sport in shock. He spent 18 years as a professional player, claiming the UK Championship and reaching the semi-finals of the Worlds in 1979.Yet it was Virgo's career after hanging up his cue that truly brought him widespread recognition. Following his retirement from snooker in 1994, the Salford-born star co-hosted Big Break alongside comedian Jim Davidson and went on to forge a distinguished career as a BBC commentator.His final stint at the commentary desk came just 17 days before his death, when Kyren Wilson overcame John Higgins in the Masters final. Virgo's much-loved catchphrases, including 'where's the cue ball going?' when a foul shot came close, became an enduring hallmark of the sport.Virgo's close friend, James Malyon, confirmed that the snooker star passed away in a Costa del Sol hospital after suffering a ruptured aorta. The 46-year-old, who regularly enjoyed rounds of golf with Virgo, said he rushed to the hospital in Benalmadena upon receiving a call from his wife Rosie Ries.She contacted Malyon in the early hours to report a medical emergency, but he sadly arrived too late to bid a final farewell. At the time, Malyon said: "He passed away around 5:30am today."He woke Rosie up around 2:30 this morning and she called an ambulance and he was taken to hospital where around three hours later he passed away. He had suffered a ruptured aorta which is the main artery running down the body."According to the doctor there's nothing medical that causes it, it can just happen, which is a bit scary, and he said that with a rupture like that, if it had happened to a fit 30-year-old man it would almost certainly have been the same outcome."So it wasn't due to any underlying health issues, it wasn't due to any ongoing illness, and that's why it has been so tough because it was just completely out of the blue."Paying tribute to his friendship with Virgo, he added: "John had been okay. A group of us went out for a drink in December when Dennis Taylor was over and he was in good form."He had gone back to the UK a few weeks ago commentating for the Masters in Alexandra Palace, then he came back to Spain for the weekend and returned again to Britain to do a couple of exhibitions for three or four days."He'd got back to the Costa del Sol on Friday and I spoke with him only yesterday afternoon around about 2:30pm. John and Rosie had just got back from the Miramar Shopping Centre in Fuengirola and had been doing the normal everyday things. He was right as rain."Malyon walked through the final hours of Virgo's life before his sudden passing, revealing it had been a "totally normal" day prior to the medical emergency. He said: "It had been a totally normal day for him, nothing out of the ordinary."It would have been their 16th wedding anniversary on February 9 and it would have been his 80th birthday on March 4. Rosie's obviously very gutted."They had plans to go for dinner together on the 9th and were planning a trip together to Madrid for a lovely weekend to celebrate his 80th but now obviously that's not going to happen. They came to Spain around the Covid era and spent a lot of the lockdown in Fuengirola while they had renovation work done on their villa here."He added: "Rosie called me and I didn't sadly get to hospital in time to see him before he died but to the best of my knowledge there was going to be a CT scan but it all happened so quickly it was impossible for them to do anything."I got to the hospital around half an hour before John passed away. It's scary how life can go like that and that's what's so hard for everyone because it all happened so fast."Davidson, meanwhile, received confirmation of his close friend's tragic passing through Virgo's daughter, Brooke-Leah.The comedian had already taken a call from a friend regarding the death, but it was the snooker legend's daughter who ensured Davidson was fully informed.The duo developed an extraordinary friendship during their presenting stint on the BBC's Big Break, collaborating on the programme for more than a decade.The show matched competitors with professional players to take part in snooker-based challenges for prizes and became hugely popular in the 1990s.Davidson spoke about the distressing phone call with Virgo's daughter on his YouTube account in February. He 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."Davidson honoured his friend during the conversation, recalling their initial encounter and the connection they formed over racing.He 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."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 anniversary since New Faces."Davidson went on to say: "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."
