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Alex Higgins: The People's Champion

Documentary charting the life of snooker legend Alex 'Hurricane' Higgins. Contributors include Jimmy White, Ronnie O'Sullivan, Dennis Taylor and Barry Hearn.

One man transfixed television viewers during snooker's golden age - Alex 'Hurricane' Higgins. This poignant documentary charts the remarkable rise and fall of the snooker genius, from his early days growing up in Belfast to his climb to the top of the sport as two-time world champion.

Higgins was pure showbiz, a mercurial talent at the table who played the game like nobody had done before. Boxing had Muhammad Ali, football was blessed by George Best - snooker had Alex Higgins. Yet like Best, Higgins's brilliance was flawed by his demons. We chart the depressing lows - the alcohol abuse, threatening to have fellow Ulsterman Dennis Taylor shot, headbutting a senior member of snooker's hierarchy and falling out of a top floor window and living to tell the tale after a row with his then-girlfriend.

The Higgins story is completed with the final chapter of his life spent battling throat cancer; desperate hours spent in pubs and working men's clubs trying to rekindle his halcyon days; finally unable to eat properly because he'd lost his teeth and in the end, ultimately found dead alone in sheltered accommodation.

At times uplifting, but at other moments very sad - this is a rollercoaster journey charting the life of snooker's 'rock and roll star'.

Contributors include Jimmy White, Ronnie O'Sullivan, Dennis Taylor, Barry Hearn, Steve Davis, Ray Reardon and members of the Higgins family.

Available now

59 minutes

Audio described

Last on

Sun 28 Apr 2024 23:10

Music Played

  • Just Jack

    Embers

Credits

Role Contributor
Narrator James Nesbitt
Producer Jason Bernard
Director Jason Bernard
Participant Jimmy White
Participant Ronnie O'Sullivan
Participant Dennis Taylor
Participant Barry Hearn
Participant Steve Davis
Participant Ray Reardon

Broadcasts

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