Talking Snooker podcast host Nick Metcalfe says the popular show has become a big “success story”.
The popular green baize podcast is approaching 200 episodes. The 186th episode hit the podcast airwaves prior to the start of the 2024 UK Championship.
Metcalfe, who has been a snooker writer for around 20 years, presents the weekly show with Metro sports journalist Phil Haigh. The shows see them interview a well-known name from the world of snooker.
The podcast has become hugely popular among snooker fans across the UK and beyond.
Metcalfe told Snooker Chat he is proud of the comments he gets from fans who tell him how much they enjoy the show.
He said: “I think it has been a huge success story, no question. I must say Phil (Haigh) is a brilliant person to do the podcast with. His knowledge of snooker and attention to detail covering tournaments stands out.
“The amount of news we have created has been a surprise. We had a couple of early boosts. We had Barry Hearn saying he wanted a full Crucible (for the 2021 World Championship).
“Then we had John Virgo telling us he and Dennis Taylor had been told their run on the BBC would be coming to an end. That was a massive story.”
Favourite Episode
Metcalfe also revealed his most satisfying episode of the Talking Snooker podcast. He said it was when he and Haigh spoke with four-times world champion John Higgins.
Talking Snooker host Nick Metcalfe said the chat with Higgins was his best ever snooker interview.
The episode saw Higgins discuss in detail all major elements of his snooker life. This included his early days and his ups and downs in his career. Higgins also talks openly about his suspension from the game which made major headlines.
Click here to listen to the podcast episode.
Metcalfe said: “The chat with John Higgins on Talking Snooker is one of the best snooker interviews around. I don’t mean to blow my own trumpet there.
“I’ve never seen Higgins speak at length about anything. We had him for two hours and he was unbelievably generous.
“For him to go deep into his snooker life – from his time growing up, his early days on tour, his meeting with Alex Higgins which generated a lot of interest and all his ups and downs – was very special.
“To get a line from what he called his most difficult time in 2010 was great. This is when he was involved in that News Of The World sting.
“We were so proud of that episode, it was massive. I don’t think Higgins has done interviews like that.
“This was a good two-hour interview. That’s the beauty with podcasts, there is no time limit.“
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