The BBC have announced a star-studded cast of pundits and commentators for the 2025 World Snooker Championship, where Kyren Wilson will defend his title up against the Crucible curse with no reigning champion having won the event again the next year since 1977. The Beeb continue to broadcast snooker's premier event and extensive coverage will be led by host Hazel Irvine.

She will be supported by fellow presenters Seema Jaswal and Rishi Persad, in addition to reporting from Shabnam Younus-Jewell and Abigail Davis. Viewers are accustomed to the core group fronting their TV screens at the Crucible, in addition to many legends of the sport.

Audiences will be treated to the expert analysis of Steve Davis, Stephen Hendry, John Parrott, Ken Doherty, Dennis Taylor and John Virgo in addition to current players such as Shaun Murphy.

Even though Murphy is competing in Sheffield, he has become a regular in both commentary and punditry while he is still in competitions. That is despite raising concerns about how the BBC promote snooker.

Reigning world champion Wilson and Mark Allen have also appeared on the BBC mid-competition, but there is no confirmation of which players aside from Murphy will join the broadcast.

Alex Kay-Jelski, director of BBC Sport, said: “This year’s World Championship promises precision, strategy, and drama, and fans at home won't miss a single moment on BBC Sport. With coverage from Sheffield across TV, iPlayer, 5 Live, and the BBC Sport website/app, our expert presenting, commentary, and in-depth analysis will make audiences feel like they’re front row at the Crucible.”

The BBC will broadcast every single shot from the steel city across BBC One, BBC Two, BBC Four and iPlayer. A highlights package named 'Snooker Extra' will shown every night on BBC Two and iPlayer between April 19 and May 5.

BBC 5 Live will provide regular radio updates and features from Sheffield, with Jamie Broughton reporting live from the World Championship. The BBC Sport website and app will also provide text updates from every session and live commentary of the semi-finals and final.

While concerns remain about the future of the World Championship at the Crucible, amid calls for the showpiece event to be moved to Saudi Arabia, the BBC and World Snooker Tour agreed an extension to broadcast the tournament until 2032.

That deal is a five-year extension and also included the UK Championship and Masters, ensuring all three Triple Crown events remain on free-to-air TV.

In 2024, the BBC's coverage of those British events drew in 33.9 million streams across iPlayer and the BBC website, with over 16 million tuning in on TV.