Stephen Hendry, now working for the BBC as a pundit, gave his expertise and opinion throughout the World Championship tournament.
The Scottish snooker icon still holds the record as the youngest player ever to lift the World Championship trophy, achieving the feat at just 21 years and 106 days old.
His dominance extended far beyond that single triumph, though. Hendry claimed seven Crucible titles in total, sat atop the world rankings for eight consecutive years from 1990, and collected six Masters titles along with five UK Championship wins.
It’s believed the 57-year-old has amassed a fortune of around £13.5million through his glittering career, which included 36 ranking tournament victories.
Stephen Hendry is believed to be worth around £13.5million
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Away from the baize, Hendry’s personal life has attracted plenty of attention over the years.
The snooker legend began a romance with Lauren Thundow, a children’s entertainer and actress, after the pair first crossed paths at a Legends snooker exhibition more than a decade ago.
At the time, Thundow was 26 while Hendry was 45, creating a 19-year age gap between them.
In his 2018 autobiography Me and the Table, Hendry wrote: “I first met Lauren when she was selling merchandise after a Legends snooker exhibition.
“She’s attractive and we smile at each other but I think nothing of it. Gradually, we start to say, ‘Hi’, and share a bit of small talk.”
He added: “As time goes on, we chat more often. It’s becoming clear we have a connection.”
Stephen Hendry has admitted to breaking his wife’s heart after saying he had feelings for someone else
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The relationship with Thundow came after Hendry’s marriage to Amanda Tart fell apart following nearly two decades together.
Hendry had first met his former wife at Pontins when he was just 16, and the couple tied the knot in 1995 before welcoming two sons, Blaine and Carter.
But in 2014, their marriage came to an end when Hendry confessed his feelings for another woman.
In his autobiography, he recalled the moment everything changed: “Driving back from a shopping trip, my wife Mandy asks me what’s wrong. She assumes it’s money-related. I tell her it isn’t. Then she tells me to stop the car, saying that we’re not going an inch further until I tell her what’s going on.”
He continued: “So I do. I tell her that I have feelings for someone else. She is shocked and devastated.”
The fallout from the split proved incredibly difficult for Hendry, both emotionally and financially.
In his book, he described the three years between leaving and the divorce being finalised as the most stressful period of his life.
Stephen Hendry’s divorce ended him costing a huge six-figure sum
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The legal costs alone ran to a hefty six-figure sum, while his former wife remained in their Scottish home with their boys.
Breaking the news to Blaine and Carter was particularly agonising for the snooker star.
“This is the hardest thing I have ever done and will probably ever have to do,” he wrote. “However you try to explain things to children, there is going to be upset and hurt.”
Despite the turbulent circumstances, Hendry and Thundow have now been together for almost 12 years.