Jimmy White’s partner Jade Slusarczyk claimed that the snooker legend lied about his age when they first met. The 62-year-old said that he was 35 at a snooker tournament 13 years ago, where the former Miss Blackpool was employed.

Slusarczyk, now 39, was working as a walk-on girl at the Snooker Shout Out, though did not know the names of the players she was accompanying to the stage. She has also been a darts walk-on girl for Sky Sports and the pair hit it off immediately. They did not start dating right away, though, and both had partners at the time, but love later blossomed after an initial white lie.

"He told me he was 35 when I met him,” Jade told The Mirror in 2019. "I didn't even know who he was or that he was famous."

White was approaching 50 at the time, but the Whirlwind makes no apologies and credits Jade with helping him turn his life around.

“I had this special feeling straight away when I met Jade,” he said in their first interview together. “You have this instinct. Some people think it’s b*******, but it’s not. When I first met her I thought she was fabulous inside and out.

“I had an instant buzz for her. I never thought anything would happen, but having been friends initially we finally got together all these years later.

“People are always going to talk about the age difference, but we don’t care. We know we’re all right. Her family like me. Everything’s good.”

Thanks to Jade, Jimmy’s wild nights are long behind him. He remains a snooker professional and tried once again to qualify for the 2025 World Championship.

He joked that they “used to share hotels to keep the expenses down” and White now lives a much cleaner life.

“He’s not like that any more,” Jade explained. “We like a quiet night in front of the TV or going out for a nice meal. It’s pretty civilised.

“I’ve never touched a drug or cigarette and I’m not a big drinker. If I was then maybe it’d be a different story.”

He has even given up smoking and splits his duties as a player with punditry work for TNT Sports.

“I haven’t been a raving lunatic, truthfully, for 25 years. The thought of the weekends I used to have now makes me shake,” White added.

“We go out and have a drink occasionally. We’re quite as happy to go for a nice meal and go to the theatre or something. We’d rather waste the hours that way instead of getting s***faced. She’ll tell you I’m like an old fart now. I have been tamed.”