Snooker legend Steve Davis retired from the sport a decade ago after switching lanes for a new career that keeps him up at all hours of the night

Steve Davis has swapped the snooker table for a different stage in the decade since his retirement.

The six-time world champion has established a new career as a DJ and musician after spending much of his life at the top of the sport. Davis dominated snooker throughout the 1980s, becoming one of Britain's most recognisable figures.

His private life also attracted headlines, with a reported affair involving a 19-year-old woman putting his marriage under strain. Now 69, Davis is devoting more of his time to electronic music with his band, The Utopia Strong, as Daily Star Sport looks back on his life beyond the baize after bringing about a change of direction and its fair share of controversy.

Snooker ace to music star

Having carved out a post-snooker career as a DJ, Davis has expanded his musical horizons by launching a new band. The Utopia Strong is an electronic outfit established back in 2018 and has since demanded an increasing amount of the snooker great's attention.

The three-piece group has put out four albums to date since its formation eight years ago. The group was actually born from an impromptu performance at Glastonbury 2018, with guitarist Kavus Torabi and Michael J. York eventually rounding out the line-up.

Make sure you never miss the most fun content in sport by making the Daily Star one of your Google preferred sources.

The Utopia Strong toured the UK in May 2026, performing at venues in London, Manchester, Newcastle, Exeter, Leicester, Hull and Glasgow, as well as a number of smaller cities and towns. They also appeared on BBC Breakfast in 2023 and headlined the Angel Field Festival at the Capstone Theatre at Liverpool Hope University last year.

The band is set to return to the stage in May 2027 when they will perform at The Rondo Theatre in Bath. In the meantime, fans will have to satisfy themselves with The Utopia Strong's most recent recordings, which includes the 2025 album Doperider.

Cheating scandal and divorce

Davis wed ex-wife Judith, a former Concorde flight attendant, in 1990. The former couple had two sons, Greg and Jack, together before their marriage was rocked by scandal.

This came after it was revealed in 1995, two years after the birth of his youngest son, that Davis had embarked on an extra-marital affair. A UK tabloid paid 19-year-old Cheree Palla £32,000 to reveal the details of their liaison, at which point 'Nugget' was 39 and still claiming major titles.

"To this day not one man has even compared to Steve in the sack. I mean it, not even close," Palla told The Sun in 2013 regarding her romance with Davis. "I was only young and I don't think I really appreciated what an animal he was.

"We would make love seven times a night. I was only 19 and I wasn't experienced at all. I honestly thought it was normal. I have been very disappointed ever since. I haven't had a lover that could hold a candle to him. He taught me everything.

"I am double the age I was then and I still can't forget how passionate and crazy he was under the sheets. He wasn't a selfish lover, he was very attentive."

Judith forgave Davis for his indiscretion at the time, though the couple subsequently divorced in 2005. Reflecting on his affair, the snooker legend downplayed his actions and even claimed his reputation was enhanced because of it.

"I wasn't a politician, I was a snooker player - I was only an ambassador of that sport," said Davis years later. "So I didn't lose much sleep over it in the end really. It's not like I had people all over the place. I think my street cred went up quite a lot actually."

Davis found new love with former accounts worker Jeannie Nash, 16 years his junior, shortly after the breakdown of his marriage. The couple remain together in a long-term relationship to this day.

Massive net worth

Having thrived during an era when snooker stood among the most popular sports in the UK, Davis has enjoyed considerable financial rewards from his achievements. Beyond his playing career, his wealth has been further bolstered by a prosperous career in punditry, appearing as a familiar face on the BBC and TNT Sports.

Davis banked over £5.6million in prize money from tournaments during his snooker career. He also secured some highly profitable sponsorship agreements through his partnership with manager Barry Hearn and at one stage became the UK's top-earning sportsman.

His current net worth is believed to be around £26.5m, considerably higher than his competition winnings alone. This demonstrates the enormous earning power available to someone who has established such a formidable reputation in their sport.