After Dinner SpeakersSteve Davis OBE is one of the world’s best-known snooker players.
He turned professional in 1978 and went onto win The World Snooker Championship 6 times during the 1980s.
Perhaps his most famous match was the 1985 final against Dennis Taylor.
In a record TV audience of 18 million watched a nail-biting match, Taylor finally beat Davis 18 frames to 17.
It was during this period that Davis received an MBE. Subsequently, Steve received an OBE in the 2003 New Year’s Honours List.
Over Davis’ professional career he has amassed 71 major titles, been a member of the successful English World Cup team on four occasions (captaining it twice) and won the World Doubles title four times.
In 1982, Steve was the first-ever snooker player to make a televised maximum break of 147.
After being written off, Steve shocked the sporting world in 1997 when he won the Masters title against all odds.
At 8-4 down to the favourite Ronnie O’Sullivan in the final session, Steve won six frames in a row, including the highest break, to win the biggest cheque of his career.
Consequently, Steve was voted BBC TV Snooker Personality of the Year.
Steve Davis is also an avid poker player. He has competed in major televised events, played in the World Series in Las Vegas and even reached the final table of Pokermillion in 2002.
In 2005 Davis reached the final of the UK Championship, 25 years after he first won it. This rocketed him to No.3 in the world rankings.
At the 2010 World Championship, Davis, aged 52, won his first-round match. He later knocked World No.1, John Higgins, out of the competition reaching the quarter-finals in what was described as the biggest upset in snooker history.
In 2016, Steve announced his retirement.
He still plays in exhibitions and is an analyst and commentator for the BBC’s snooker coverage.
Furthermore, Steve has carved himself a career as a dance music DJ, performing sets at events and festivals.
Steve Davis remains in demand as an entertaining snooker after dinner speaker.
