Cue ace Thorne tributes
Tributes for snooker ace
SNOOKER star Willie Thorne died listening to his children saying they loved him, his carer revealed last night.
The sporting world paid tribute to the popular former Strictly and All New Monty star who lost his fight for life after going into septic shock in a Spanish hospital.
He had been on a mechanical ventilator after suffering respiratory failure in hospital at the weekend.
Willie, who was 66, had been diagnosed with leukaemia in March.
His close pal, Match Of The Day host Gary Lineker, led the tributes to the former world No7 turned TV commentator, tweeting: “Deeply, deeply saddened to hear that my friend Willie Thorne has passed away. One of life’s great characters.
Battle
“A marvellous snooker player and a lovely man, who’s potted his final black much too soon. RIP Willie.’’
Friend Julie O’neill, who had been looking after Willie at his rented home in Alicante, announced his death on a Gofundme webpage set up to pay for his treatment.
“It is with a very heavy and broken heart that I have to officially announce that at 1.55am this morning Willie Thorne lost his battle and passed away,’’ she wrote.
“Willie went into septic shock and was not responding to any treatment so the decision was made by the hospital to turn off the machines.
“He passed away very peacefully and without pain listening to his children saying they love him – that gives me some comfort in this difficult time.’’
The death of the star – dubbed Mr Maximum for the number of 147 breaks he rattled in during practice – left fans and friends devastated.
Good Morning Britain host Piers Morgan, 55, tweeted: “Great snooker player and wonderful character. Sad news.’’
Seven-time world snooker champion Stephen Hendry said of his former rival and BBC colleague: “Willie was one of my favourite people in snooker.’’
Thorne’s 24-year marriage to former Miss Great Britain Jill Saxby ended in 2019.
The dad-of-three – who had two stepchildren – suffered from a gambling addiction which he said had cost him £1million and led to him being declared bankrupt in 2015.
Former world champion Dennis Taylor said: “He was so naturally talented. He did have the gambling and betting addiction and I genuinely believe that also stopped him winning more. It side-tracked him.
“We have laughed around the world together and enjoyed some unbelievable times. He had a great sense of humour.
“He would walk into the players’ room full of maybe six world champions and jokingly say, ‘Right, who was the most famous person in here until I arrived?’”