A man has been thrown out of the Crucible after interrupting a World Snooker Championship semi-final with an apparent protest about the Epstein Files.
The bizarre incident occurred just as Wu Yize and Mark Allen began the deciding 33rd frame of their tense last-four clash in Sheffield on Saturday night.
Wu was about to take his shot when a cry of ‘never forget the Epstein Files’ came from the crowd – a reference to the millions of documents detailing the activities of the late paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein.
The fan, who has been pictured but not identified, proceeded to call out again before referee Marcel Eckardt ordered they be removed, with the interruption audible on the BBC coverage of the match.
‘Can you get this person out please, now please,’ Eckardt said.
Fans in the arena had told the spectator to shut up and there seemed to be a surprise reaction after it became clear what they had been shouting.
The snooker fan, pictured standing up, was thrown out for a bizarre shout about the Epstein Files
Wu went on to win a thrilling semi-final 17-16 after Allen had blown a golden opportunity to book his place in the final.
Leading 16-15, Allen just needed to pot a routine black off its spot but missed, allowing Wu to set up a decider.
The incident came after a bizarre stalemate earlier in the same semi-final on Friday caused Wu and Allen to play out the longest frame ever recorded at the World Championship.
The players found themselves in a situation where eight red balls were impossible to pot because of the position of the black, causing continuous safety shots as the crowd grew restless and Eckardt was forced to intervene.
They were eventually given three shots each to resolve it and Allen, who held a big lead, was forced to almost intentionally foul by potting the black in order to force a result.
Wu fought back to win and draw the match level at 7-7 in a frame that lasted 100 minutes and 21 seconds.
The scenes were described as ’embarrassing’ by six-time world champion Steve Davis, while Stephen Hendry – a seven-time winner at the Crucible – described the incident as the ‘dark side of snooker’.