<img src="https://sb.scorecardresearch.com/p?c1=2&amp;c2=6035250&amp;cv=2.0&amp;cj=1&amp;cs_ucfr=0&amp;comscorekw=Sport"> Skip to main contentSkip to navigationSkip to navigation
John Higgins
The Wizard of Wishaw conjures up a mean wee Chateaubriand. Photograph by Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images,
The Wizard of Wishaw conjures up a mean wee Chateaubriand. Photograph by Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images,

John Higgins

This article is more than 16 years old
The 888.com world snooker champion and Wizard of Wishaw waxes lyrical on conjuring tricks, novel ways to liven up his sport, and the contents of his pockets

Hello John
Hello Small Talk. How're you doing.

Very good ta. Feeling confident for the Masters next week?
[After several seconds of um-and-ah] Who knows? It's quite close to Christmas and new year really and its only been about a week since I've been back in practice so its probably a bit tougher. But obviously it's a tournament I look forward to playing in. It's probably the second or third biggest we've got on the calendar.

But its not been the greatest season so far for you.
No. No. No. Its not been. The second half has got to be better than the first half as far as I'm concerned.

And with you the reigning world champion too. Is a year as world champ any different to usual?
It has been - there's a lot more work involved. But that's what you want - to be busy - so it's been a great year so far.

Few more pints bought for you I suppose
No, no, not any more. Maybe once, but not any more.

So as well as being world snooker champion, you're also a dab hand at poker we hear.
Yeah, I love playing the game. I was playing in a live event a couple of months back - the 888.com UK Open - and it was great. I got down to the final three in my heat and at one point I should have won it. It's the way the game is: you can be at the table with one of the best players in the world and you still have a chance at winning. There's not a lot of things you can say that about.

You're right there. So are you a big bluffer or a play-it-straight man?
I play aggressive. You watch a lot of players and they play so tight, but at the end of the day who's to say what the right way of doing it is. Everyone's got their own style. It's the same in most sports, some people are more aggressive than others.

So what's the biggest pot you've ever taken?
Not massive, I'm not one of these players that play for thousands and thousands on the internet.

So not a high roller then?
No, I'm just more like a fun player I suppose.

The best way to be, we'd say. So if you're not on the poker or snooker table, you're usually on the golf course, is that right?
No, not really [Small Talk, not for the first time, mentally curses his own below-par research skills]. I'm not one of these snooker players that are great at golf. I wish I was but I've never really caught the bug like some of the other top snooker players have, which is a shame because it is a great game to be involved in.

Graeme Dott told Small Talk last year that you were pretty gash at golf, so it sounds like he got that right.
He's definitely spot-on there. At least I'm not trying to big myself up.

Now you're nickname is the Wizard of Wishaw, but can you do any magic tricks?
I can do a few, aye.

A few! [Small Talk utterly betrays the fact that he was not expecting this answer] Really?
My son got a few magic tricks for Christmas so he was asking me to do them because he knew I was called the Wizard, but nothing major.

That's still quite impressive, though. You see all these darts players coming out in fancy dress, lobbing stuff into the crowd so at least you're doing your bit to live up to the nickname.
I tell you what, if we started getting the crowds that the darts players have been getting lately then we'll have to start coming up with our own little gimmicks like that. We could have wands or stardust that I could throw out to the crowd, know what I mean?

"Rocket" Ronnie O'Sullivan could set off fireworks ...
Aye

Or "Angles" Alan McManus could come out waving a giant protractor ...
Aye that's right. World Snooker should employ you Small Talk.

We're flattered but far too committed to the current job to ever leave [Small Talk makes mental note to check World Snooker's pay rates]. And you've gone and got yourself and MBE this year
Yeh, I received it in the new year's honours list. It's a very good accolade to have for snooker and for my family. It's good to be recognised.

So are you a big fan of the royals?
[Chuckles] I don't think you're allowed to be if you're a Scot. But no at the end of the day I was obviously very honoured.

And you're a bit of a masterchef as well, we believe
I was on celebrity Ready, Steady, Cook. It was fantastic - when you're there you think 'I'd love to do this more often'. But the cooking is easier than the preparation, and often I'm not in the right frame of mind to prepare the food right before we cook it. It's all in the preparation. If you can be bothered doing the preparation then you should always cook a good meal.

Too true - it's the onions that get us. So what would you cook for Small Talk if we were coming round tonight?
What about a wee Chateaubriand. We'll add a bit of haggis and some drambuie sauce. That'll be quite nice.

Too right it will. We'll come over around 8'o'clock. We'll need some tunes on though so what was the last CD you bought?
It was for my wife - Whitney Houston's greatest hits. For me personally it would be ... it was a funny one ... it was a Peter Kay CD to listen to in the car.

Not him singing surely?
No, no. I'd lost a league match against Stephen Hendry and needed something to cheer myself up as I was driving home from England.

Last book you read?
Wildfire. It was basically half fiction, half fact about terrorism and the United States. They were gonnae nuke their own cities so that there would be a backlash against Islamic countries. It was quite interesting.

Favourite TV show?
It's a Scottish one called Still Game. I don't know if you've heard of it down in England. It's a comedy about two grumpy old men and their trials and tribulations.

Who'd win a fight between a lion and a tiger?
A li ... no, a tiger. I can't believe the size of tigers compared to lions. A tiger would kill 'im, destroy 'im.

What have you got in your pockets?
I've got my credit cards and £80 quid in cash.

Blimey! Not heading off to a big poker game later are you?
No, no. I've got to pick up some groceries on the way home.

Do you ever find chalk in your pockets? [Small Talk, by way of explanation, launches into a lengthy yarn about a spell 10 years ago when it seemed that every time we pulled on a pair of trousers he'd find a cube of chalk in there.]
Yeah, I get that all the time. Bits of chalk and old bow-ties from suits that have been in the back of the wardrobe.

That's a relief. Small Talk thought he might have been a little bit strange
No, no, you're not a bit strange. If you are, we're all a bit strange.

Last of all, have you got a joke to tell us?
My son told me one at Halloween. How does it go? Er, knock-knock ...

[Silence]
Knock-knock ...

[Pause] Er ... loch, loch?
[Clearly, and probably correctly, thinking Small Talk is some sort of simpleton.] Ah, right, no, when I say knock-knock, you say "who's there?".

[Small Talk realises it may well be time to get his ears syringed] Oh right, who's there
Gorilla.

Gorilla who?
Gorilla me a hamburger. Sorry, that's absolutely rubbish.

Not bad for a five-year-old though. Thanks a lot, John
See ya later, Small Talk.

Click here for your chance to win tickets to the Masters. Enjoy the game at www.888.com and try your hand at a range of games including poker, bingo, backgammon, casino plus special snooker video slots.

Explore more on these topics

Most viewed

Most viewed