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Posted

We always give it the "Ooh, John Virgo's here" if we ever see anybody in a particularly flamboyant waistcoat. 
Like everybody else, I'll most fondly remember him for Big Break and the trick shots but oof, those waistcoats. Even kept the gimmick going in panto.

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Posted
11 minutes ago, cobra_gordo said:

We always give it the "Ooh, John Virgo's here" if we ever see anybody in a particularly flamboyant waistcoat. 

A "Nodad waistcoat", if I recall the Big Break terminology correctly.

(Derived from the phrase "No dad, please don't make me wear that")

Posted

Big Break was always regular Saturday viewing in our house as my dad was obsessed with snooker (I quite enjoyed it now too). John Virgo was always a highlight on Big Break and I have many many memories of watching him when growing up. I really enjoyed him as a commentator too, he had a really distinctive voice and was TV only a few weeks ago. I will always associate a fancy waistcoat with him. RIP John Virgo

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Posted

Goodnight, JV.

Testament to the man that he managed to make Jim Davidson watchable. He's not been in the best health for a while, but this one does sting as someone who watches a lot of snooker. 

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Posted

He used to say "Pot as many balls as you can" and now there are no more balls left to pot. To think that one routine of him impersonating the other players got him all that other work and turned him into a household name. 

Rest well JV. 

 

Posted (edited)

Made Jim Davidson tolerable for 30 minutes which is a heck of a bargaining chip to pull out at St. Peter's gate. 

Didn't see @Gus Mearssimilar sentiment. But the point still stands.

Edited by Chili
Posted

His UK Open win gave a hint of what could have been if not for physically disabling conditions at a relatively young age.

That and the emergence of a younger generation like, Davis, White,etc as the popularity of snooker exploded.

A big loss to all who love the game.

Posted

I saw him do an exhibition in Worcester in the mid-2000s with Alex Higgins and he was a pure entertainer.

Higgins was a late replacement for Jimmy White who'd been hospitalized and to be honest was the main reason I went.  Higgins himself was extremely ill and gaunt looking by this point but still pulled out some magical shots but Virgo was just a joy.

They played either a best of five or best of seven between themselves, Virgo commentating as he's playing, before he did some tricks getting members of the audience involved to do them with him. I was hoping for some of his impressions but sadly he never did any that night.

Goodnight JV.

Posted

Got lost down a Big Break Youtube rabbit hole. Obviously most of Jim's stuff has aged terribly - yes, I know you could argue it was terrible in the first place - but I find it mad that the show didn't end until 2002. I just can't imagine it existing around that time.

Posted
3 minutes ago, DavidB6937 said:

Got lost down a Big Break Youtube rabbit hole. Obviously most of Jim's stuff has aged terribly - yes, I know you could argue it was terrible in the first place - but I find it mad that the show didn't end until 2002. I just can't imagine it existing around that time.

Millard pointed out once Jim was still hosting the Generation Game post 9/11 which is an odd time marker but for some reason just seems mad.

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Posted

I met him at a party once. My mate had turned 21 and JV was a friend of her family. At the party I was both drunk and starstruck, and eventually got into a chat with him in which I asked if Jim Davidson was an arsehole or not. He said, and I remember this word for word 20 years on, 'well, hes one of my best mates. So no. Im going to go over there now.' And off he fucked.

 

I woke up and that memory made me deeply stressed and shamed. Also he was on TV the following week and I was dreading him talking about 'meeting somedickhead at a party'.

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