'I present snooker with Jimmy White – he completely changes when Ronnie O'Sullivan is around'
Andy Goldstein has revealed how much his snooker co-presenter Jimmy White changes when his friend - fellow snooker icon Ronnie O'Sullivan - comes around
by Abbie Meehan · The MirrorAndy Goldstein has admitted that Jimmy White is a totally different person when he is around British snooker star Ronnie O'Sullivan.
The British sports presenter appeared on Stephen Hendry's YouTube channel to talk all things snooker, ahead of the concluding stages of the English Open this weekend. Hendry asked Goldstein what it was like to present with White and O'Sullivan - and the 51-year-old didn't hold back when giving his opinion.
Hendry asked: "Obviously you present the EuroSport and in the studio you normally have Jimmy and Ronnie - what's that like? I mean, I speak to Neil and he said it's like a circus."
Goldstein joked that it was like looking after children all day, as he said: "It's like being a babysitter every day for eight hours - I mean, listen, you know them better than I do but they're totally different people when they're together aren't they?
"They're completely different. Jimmy, on his own, he's quite quiet, quite funny, but when Ronnie's there, he just goes to another level."
Hendry then praised White's level of punditry and how it has improved, adding: "I watch some matches on the EuroSport and I think Jimmy's actually quite good. In the beginning, I thought he was a bit like, you could almost tell he didn't give a monkey's, but now actually, I think he's a good pundit."
Goldstein replied: "I think he's a great pundit."
The presenter then went on to reveal the first time he ever met the four-time World snooker champion - and how he still carries around a memento from that day. Goldstein said: "Since I was 10, I was a massive fan of Jimmy and I still remember the first time.
Hendry replied: "I'll tell you about the first time I met him. He's my hero, but you tell me if you remember the first time you met him."
Goldstein continued: "Well it's funny you say that, the first time I met Jimmy he was playing in the MatchRoom League in Croydon, right? And he was playing, I think, Cliff Thorburn and I would have been 10. And I ran down the stairs at the end of the match, big arena or whatever, I ran down the stairs as the match finished and I went up to him and I said 'Can I have your towel?'"
He then went over to his bag and pulled out a worn-looking towel, showing it off to Hendry and adding: "I swear to God this is true. That is Jimmy White's MatchRoom towel. I tell everyone wherever I go. How mad is that?"
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