Steve Davis Storms Off BBC Segment After Snooker Demo Goes Hilariously Wrong Live on Air
During coverage of the World Snooker Championship, legendary snooker player and BBC pundit Steve Davis found himself at the center of an unintentionally humorous moment that quickly caught viewers’ attention. The incident unfolded during a break between frames in Judd Trump’s second-round clash against Shaun Murphy, a match already tense and tightly contested. After Trump clinched his first frame to reduce Murphy’s lead to 2-1—thanks to a clever snooker behind the black—Davis stepped into the practice room to dissect a particularly tricky shot that Murphy had attempted.
Murphy, known as “The Magician,” had tried to escape a tough snooker by applying precise side spin to the cue ball. This demanding shot required the ball to strike the bottom cushion with spin and change direction, yet still land in a safe position. Davis, eager to illustrate the complexity of the move, first mimed the shot using just his fingers. “What I am going to do is explain it, which is far more important,” he said confidently. “It’s like a spinner in cricket,” he added, gesturing how the cue ball needed to curve off the cushion.
The mood shifted when Davis decided to attempt the shot for real using a cue. Borrowing chalk from fellow player Ben Woollaston, Davis set up and took his shot. But rather than executing the elegant spin required, the cue ball went astray. Undeterred, he gave it another try—this one worse than the first. The second failed attempt prompted Davis to drop the cue on the table in mock defeat, fold his arms, and turn his back to the BBC cameras, leaving host Richi Persad chuckling awkwardly.
The moment blended the technical intricacy of snooker with a light-hearted display of how even legends can struggle when the pressure is on—and the cameras are rolling.
