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Gary Lineker has led the wave of tributes coming in for snooker star Willie Thorne, who died today in hospital at the age of 66.
Thorne, a Leicester native, suffered from ‘septic shock’ following respiratory failure as he was treated for leukaemia, and died at 1:55am in Spain, his carer Julie O’Neill announced.
Ms O’Neill said on a GoFundMe page that Thorne was not responding to treatment, so doctors decided to ‘turn off the machines’.
Ex-footballer and Match of the Day presenter Lineker is also from Leicester, whilst former rugby player Austin Healey played for Leicester Tigers, and they led the tributes for Thorne this morning while Piers Morgan and Dan Walker also paid their respects on social media.
Snooker legend Willie Thorne has died in hospital overnight at the age of 66
Tributes have poured in for Throne, who was admitted to hospital in Spain last week
Match of the Day presenter Gary Lineker is ‘deeply saddened’ to hear of his friend’s passing
Lineker and Thorne were both from Leicester and played snooker together on many occasions
Lineker, who played snooker with Thorne on many occasions, tweeted: ‘Deeply, deeply saddened to hear that my friend Willie Thorne has passed away. One of life’s great characters.
‘A marvellous snooker player and a lovely man, who’s potted his final black much too soon. RIP Willie.’
Healey also paid his respects, saying: ‘Really sad to hear Willie Thorne has passed away, he was a brilliant guy to be around #rip’
On his GoFundMe page, Ms O’Neill wrote: ‘I was with him all the way to his end and reading out messages to him from people.
Thorne (pictured at the World Championships in 1988) won one ranking title in 1982
‘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.
‘Over here in Spain everything happens very quickly so today myself and his family will he making plans and will inform you accordingly.’
She added she was grateful for everyone involved in the former snooker player’s care and the £17,000 raised from the GoFund me page would go towards his funeral.
MailOnline columnist and Good Morning Britain presenter Morgan said: ‘RIP Willie Thorne, 66. Great snooker player & a wonderful character. Sad news.’
Walker, who presents BBC Breakfast and Football Focus, also paid his condolences: ‘Really sad to hear about the death of Willie Thorne. He was a big part of the golden age of snooker on TV and full of fun away from the table.’
Former snooker rival and co-commentator Dennis Taylor also showed his respects online, saying: ‘Devastating news about Willie Thorne. We laughed our way around the world for 45 years. RIP Great One.
‘That was my name for him. The Great WT. Lots of love to his family.’
The much-loved Thorne speaking at the 2010 World Seniors Snooker Championship
Leicester City Football club also paid the respects to Thorne on their Twitter page on Tuesday morning.
Thorne reached two World Championship quarter-finals and won his only ranking title, the Mercantile Credit Classic, in 1982.
He starred as part of snooker’s ‘Matchroom Mob’ and went on to become a BBC commentator and appear on the 2007 version of Strictly Come Dancing.
Thorne appeared on the 2007 series of Strictly Come Dancing (pic), with partner Erin Boag
Thorne, pictured playing snooker in 1976, reached two World Championship quarter-finals
He was married to ex-Miss Great Britain winner Jill Saxby and lived in Broughton Astley, Leicestershire but Ms Saxby left him after 24 years when she could no longer live with the ‘lies’ caused by his gambling addiction, which saw him borrow up to £1million.
Ms Saxby had been trying to make their relationship work, but his addiction had made it impossible.
Days after the couple split, Thorne’s home was repossessed after reports the mortgage had not been paid.
Thorne was married to ex-Miss Great Britain winner Jill Saxby but they split after 24 years
The home, which had been shared by the couple, had fallen into disrepair while the pair were living in Spain.
Thorne admitted in an interview in 2004 that he had placed a bet of £38,000 on John Parrott to lose a match because Thorne found out he was playing with a borrowed cue.
Parrott went on to win the match, which Thorne happened to be commentating on for the BBC, and he recalled: ‘I’m having to close the commentary by saying it’s unbelievable, spewing up as I say it.’
Thorne with Love Island’s Jack Fincham on This Morning in 2019 talking about raising money for cancer awareness
Former snooker player turned commentator Ken Doherty has spoken in the past of Thorne’s larger-than-life personality, even revealing that he used to watch the X-Factor whilst commentating on snooker.
‘He had the X-Factor on one of the screens, then he switched to Sky News, then we’re live for the final and it completely threw me because I didn’t know where we were or where to look,’ recalls Doherty.
‘You’d be watching the snooker and he’d turn the microphone off and slate one of the singers, saying she’ll be a certainty to be voted off.’
Random members of the public were also on the receiving end of Thorne’s generosity
Thorne also previously recalls playing snooker with Lineker, admitting he ‘has beat me, but only with a few frames headstart.’
He added: ‘He’s [Lineker] certainly better than a club player, his top break against me was 134. But I think Gary could probably only have made it at amateur level.
‘He was a far better cricketer than he was a snooker player. He could have played cricket for a living.’
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