**John Higgins’ Sobering Taxi Ride: How an Embarrassing Night Changed a Snooker Legend’s Life**
Snooker icon John Higgins has opened up on the personal turning point that led him to give up alcohol for good— an incident in 2018 involving a memorable taxi ride in Belfast. The four-time world champion, set to compete in the quarter-finals of the 2025 World Snooker Championship, has been open about going teetotal after a humbling experience made national headlines several years ago.
Higgins, affectionately known as the “Wizard of Wishaw”, had been socialising with friends after exiting the Northern Ireland Open. The night out, filled with drinks and laughter, ended unexpectedly when Higgins was photographed sleeping in the back of a taxi. The widely circulated image would become both a source of embarrassment and a wake-up call for the Scottish star.
According to taxi driver James Crawford, who collected Higgins from Belfast’s Merchant Hotel, the snooker great was propped against railings outside, clearly worse for wear. Crawford recalled that Higgins began chanting football slogans in the back seat before lapsing into a deep sleep: “He started chanting ‘Up the Celts! Up the Celts!’ and then just conked out. When I turned around, he was out of it.”
Upon reaching the Hilton hotel, the driver claimed he struggled to rouse Higgins to pay the fare, only for the player to reportedly mumble an expletive and refuse payment. The night took a further twist as Higgins allegedly bolted out of the taxi and dashed off down the street, leaving Crawford to resolve the unpaid fare with the hotel receptionist. Soon after, the now-infamous photograph of Higgins asleep in the taxi emerged online, compounding his embarrassment.
For Higgins, this image crystallised a decision he had been contemplating. Speaking candidly on the Talking Snooker podcast in 2023, he reflected: “I’ve not had a drink for five or six years now. You look back and realise you don’t need it to enjoy yourself. I used to go to some fantastic parties— but often, I’d remember very little the next day.”
He continued: “In Belfast, I was catching up with old mates, having a few pints, and the next thing you know, I’m asleep in a taxi before I even get to the hotel, and someone’s taking a picture. That was really the moment for me. I thought, ‘This serves no purpose at all.’”
Despite the high-profile nature of his decision, Higgins stressed that he never struggled with alcohol dependency to the extent that he needed professional help. “I never had to go to meetings or anything like that. I just realised it wasn’t for me anymore. I stopped right there and then— and haven’t had a drink since. Never say never, but I can’t see myself going back.”
Higgins’ commitment to sobriety has coincided with continued success on the professional snooker circuit. Since his first world championship win in 1998, he has amassed more than 30 tournament titles and remains a formidable competitor at the highest level. In this year’s World Snooker Championship quarter-finals, he faces Mark Williams— another storied member of the sport’s famous ‘Class of 92.’
Their encounter at the Crucible Theatre adds another chapter to a long-standing sporting rivalry. Higgins, now appearing in his 19th Crucible quarter-final, edged out Xiao Guodong in a tense second-round match, surviving a dramatic comeback to clinch victory in the deciding frame. Williams, for his part, overcame Hossein Vafaei with a remarkable clearance and has his sights set on an eighth semi-final appearance.
The winner between Higgins and Williams will face one of recent world champions Judd Trump or Luca Brecel in the semi-finals, with the match poised to provide plenty of drama and skill for snooker fans around the globe. For Higgins, regardless of the result on the green baize, one thing is clear— gone are the days that nights out threaten to overshadow his sporting achievements.
His story is a powerful reminder that even for sporting legends, the line between celebration and regret can be thin— and sometimes, a single embarrassing night can change the course of a life. Higgins’ journey stands as an example of self-awareness and determination, both at and away from the snooker table.