Steve Davis' surprising new career, affair with 19-year-old and staggering net worth
Steve Davis was once dubbed the "most boring player in the world" but the six-time world champion has led a life away from the snooker table that couldn't be further from that image
During his heyday, snooker icon Steve Davis was often labelled as the "most boring player in the world". Erupting onto the snooker scene in the late 1970s, the London-born legend ruled the roost in the 1980s, clinching six world titles from eight World Championship finals and maintaining the top spot in the world rankings for an impressive seven years on the trot.
His method was a straightforward, no-frills approach to the game that saw him consistently outplay his rivals on the green baize. Davis's style stood in stark contrast to the flamboyant personas of his contemporaries like Jimmy White, and it even led to a bit of tongue-in-cheek mockery with the moniker 'Interesting' bestowed upon him by the satirical TV show Spitting Image.
Yet, as he approached the twilight of his professional career, Davis began to embrace this image, and since hanging up his cue in 2016, he has carved out a rather unexpected post-snooker life. He's become a well-loved figure in the BBC's snooker commentary and punditry team.
But there's more to Davis than what you see on screen. From an astonishing career pivot to eyebrow-raising rumours about his personal life, here's the lowdown on what the 67-year-old has been up to away from the snooker spotlight.
Surprise career change
Post-retirement, Davis has traded potting balls for spinning decks, establishing himself as a successful DJ and musician, with gigs all over the UK, reports Wales Online. After hanging up his cue, the prog rock fan - who has collected over 10,000 records - formed an electro band called the Utopia Strong alongside musician Kavus Torabi, recording two albums with them.
He has gone on to play techno gigs at the legendary Glastonbury Festival, while he has also supported Blur at Wembley Stadium and worked as a producer on several other musical projects. Speaking to the Mirror, Davis admitted his new career was "ridiculous", saying: "I didn't know my life would turn out like this. You haven't got a clue.
"My life seems to have gone in reverse. I started off as a snooker player practising for eight hours a day in a dark room, and I ended up at Glastonbury DJing. You just don't know what is going to happen."
When it comes to his Glastonbury performances, he laughed: "I come from another world. The snooker world is not that way so it passed me by. Music is my drug of choice."
This isn't Davis's first time experimenting with music; in 1996, he began hosting a soul and rock show on Brentwood's Phoenix FM, and famously collaborated on 'Snooker Loopy' with Chas and Dave as part of 'The Matchroom Mob'.
Davis has consistently showcased his diverse range of skills beyond the world of snooker, competing in the World Pool League and presiding over the British Chess Federation between 1996 and 2001.
Split from wife
Davis' private life has also seen significant changes, including a split from his wife. Davis tied the knot with former Concorde flight attendant Judy Greig back in 1990, and the couple welcomed two sons, Greg and Jack.
But after a decade and a half together, they called it quits in 2005, with Davis confessing that Judy had "met someone else".
Reflecting on the reasons for their split, he later told the Daily Mail: "Perhaps I was giving the table a bit too much attention. I was difficult to live with. But so are all sports people - horrible. We're all 'Me, me, me!' And so selfish."
Their separation came 10 years after a British tabloid paid dancer Cheree Palla, then 19, over £30,000 to spill details of her alleged fling with Davis, who was 39 at the time. Palla, who has since become a beauty therapist, boasted about their encounters, claiming they had sex seven times a night and even dubbed him "king of the bedroom".
Davis, reflecting on the scandal, said: "I wasn't a politician, I was a snooker player - I was only an ambassador of that sport. So I didn't lose much sleep over it in the end really.
"It's not like I had people all over the place. I think my street cred went up quite a lot actually." Despite the past indiscretion, his wife forgave him, but they still ended up divorcing a decade later, and Davis would go on to find love again with Jeannie Nash, an accounts worker 16 years his junior.
Huge net worth
With his legendary status in the snooker world, it's no shock that Davis ranks among the sport's richest figures. Over the course of his career, he raked in over £5.6million in winnings, and lucrative endorsements arranged by manager Barry Hearn saw him become the UK's highest-paid sportsperson in the latter half of the 1980s.
However, reports suggest that Davis' net worth is significantly higher since he transitioned into commentary and other ventures post-retirement, with his net worth reported to be a whopping £26.5m.
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