Big Break: The amazing story behind the iconic TV theme

5 February 2026, 13:11 | Updated: 5 February 2026, 13:38

I'm gonna be snookering you tonight!

Back in the 1990s, Big Break was a TV phenomenon.

Hosted by Jim Davidson and John Virgo, who died in February 2026 at the age of 79, it ran for a whopping 216 episodes over 10 series from 1991 to 2002.

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As well as Virgo's stunning trick shots (and sometimes even more stunning waistcoats), a reason to tune in every week came with its classic theme song.

With its chirpy dynamics and on-the-nose lyrics ("I'm gonna be snookering you tonight!") you'd be forgiven for assuming it was written especially for the show.

But it turns other that the track has a much quirkier backstory than many might be aware of.

Who wrote the Big Break theme music?

The Big Break theme was written by Mike Batt.

Batt is an acclaimed singer-songwriter, musician, producer and conductor with many strings to his bow, but truthfully he's probably best known for creating The Wombles and writing and recording their classic theme song.

But as a songwriter (producer and arranger), he's had some incredible successes over the years with some remarkable tracks you wouldn't expect from a Womble.

There was 'Bright Eyes' for Art Garfunkel. 'Please Don't Fall in Love' for Cliff Richard, 'A Winter's Tale' for David Essex, 'I Feel Like Buddy Holly' for Alvin Stardust and 'Ballerina (Prima Donna)' for Steve Harley.

What is The Big Break theme actually called and was it written for the show?

Captain Sensible - The Snooker Song Promo

In 1984, Batt staged an adaptation of Lewis Carroll's The Hunting of the Snark as a costumed musical with the London Symphony Orchestra at the Barbican.

A couple of years later, he turns it into an ambitious musical project. The cast list alone made it worthy of note:

Roger Daltrey, Art Garfunkel, John Gielgud, Stéphane Grappelli, George Harrison, John Hurt, Julian Lennon, Cliff Richard, Captain Sensible, Deniece Williams, and the London Symphony Orchestra.

Mike Batt - The Pig Must Die (feat. Roger Daltrey) (1987)

Sadly, it wasn't made available for sale because of a record label dispute but Batt brushed off the disappointment to instead stage a promotional concert at the Royal Albert Hall in 1987, which he apparently had filmed for the telly at his own expense.

Halfway through the second at there was 'Snooker Song'. The lyrics use a mention of billiards in the Caroll ("While the Billiard-marker with quivering hand/ Was chalking the tip of his nose") from the narrator as a jumping off point.

And it was the first chorus from the song that was re-used a few years down the line as the theme for Big Break.

Who sings the Big Break theme?

Captain Sensible - Happy talk - Top of The Pops 1982 Xmas

The singer of 'The Snooker Song' (and so the Big Break theme) is Captain Sensible.

The Captain kicked off his career as the bass player in pioneering British punks The Damned, before he switched over to guitar in 1978.

In the early 1980s he started a parallel solo career and took 'Happy Talk' to number one in 1982, following it up with 'Wot' and 'Glad It's All Over'.

He dipped out of The Damned for a few years in the mid-1980s and it was around this time that he stepped up to add his voice to the Hunting of the Snark standout.