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Willie Thorne's Biography

 
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Willie Thorne was born in Leicester on 4 March 1954. His parents ran the Shoulder of Mutton pub in Braunston.

In Strictly Come Dancing, Willie Thorne partnered Erin Boag, however they were eliminated in the third week.

As a professional snooker player, Willie Thorne made a record 190 maximum breaks.

Thorne turned snooker professional in 1975. His highest world ranking was seventh which he achieved in both the 1983/4 and 1986/7 seasons.

Global Snooker Centre has a good account of Willie Thorne's snooker career.

According to the BBC after quitting snooker as a professional, Thorne suffered from depression.

Thorne, like Steve Davis and John Parrott, went on to provide TV analysis at snooker tournaments.

Willie Thorne has written an autobiography entitled Double or Quits: The Willie Thorne Story.

More curiously, Willie Thorne also brought out a range of underpants.

Total gambler points out that Willie Thorne has lost an estimated £3.5m at the bookies. Thorne told them:

"Gambling cost me the World Championship – my life's ambition – without a doubt. A couple of years I went to Sheffield so far in trouble that mentally I was a wreck. I never gave myself the chance I should have done. Gambling cost me my first marriage, with three children."

Willie Thorne's second wife Jill is a former Miss Great Britain.

He died on 17 June 2020, aged 66.



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