A female protestor disrupted the World Snooker Championship final on May 3, 2026, at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield. She jumped over a barrier and shouted about the BBC TV licence fee. At that moment, Wu Yize led Shaun Murphy 67-31 in the frame.
The protest caused a brief halt to the match. Security personnel quickly removed the protestor from the venue. This incident followed another disruption during the semi-final when a male spectator shouted about the Epstein files.
John Parrott addressed the crowd after the incident, stating, “Sorry for that disturbance, it’s all sorted.” The match resumed shortly after security dealt with the situation.
Key facts:
- The protest occurred while Wu Yize was leading with a score of 67.
- Shaun Murphy’s score at that time was 31.
- The Crucible Theatre has a seating capacity of 980.
- The event was broadcast live on BBC One.
The protestor’s shout, “Who f***ing pays their TV licence anyway?” drew attention to ongoing debates surrounding public broadcasting funding. The BBC licence fee has faced scrutiny in recent years.
Rob Spencer, another commentator, reminded viewers to keep phones silent, saying, “Make sure your phones are on silent or switched off. Don’t be the person that has to be thrown out.”
