Legendary snooker presenters John Virgo and Dennis Taylor are to be axed from BBC coverage from 2023.
The recognisable voice of snooker, Virgo has presented the sport since retiring in 1994, also appearing on the Big Break with Jim Davidson.
But the 76-year-old has revealed both he and Taylor will not be commentating on the snooker after 2023.
The former professional player said he would be trying something different rather than fighting his corner.
John Virgo
PA
He said: "I wouldn’t have been like this 30 years ago, I would have been fighting my corner.
“But I’ve realised – and it’s taken me a long time to realise it – not to get caught up in something you have no control of.
“I can’t have any bad feelings. Maybe it’s a working-class attitude I’ve been brought up with but there’s b----- all I can do about it, so why get bothered?
I’m not going to go round on my hands and knees begging for a job. I’m past that. So I’ll just get on with what I’m doing, enjoy it and treasure every moment."
He also told the Telegraph: “I understand that you get over a certain age and they want to try something different.”
A BBC spokesman told GB News: “The BBC are delighted to have John and Dennis as part of our snooker team and no decisions have been made past 2023 on what the wider team will look like.”
This year's snooker world championships at the Crucible have been eventful for play on and off the table.
A pigeon even briefly stopped play at the midway through the second round match between Mark Selby and Yan Bingtao.
The bird fluttered down from among the television lights and landed on the top cushion during a brief break prior to the start of the sixth frame at the Crucible.
It was quickly ushered out of the arena through the players’ entrance, surprising defending champion Selby, who was returning to the arena at the time.
Pigeons have been frequent visitors to Wimbledon’s service lines but it is believed to the first time they have invaded the Sheffield venue. BBC pundit John Virgo joked “where’s the pigeon going?”
