More than two decades after shocking the masses to claim the World Snooker Championship as a qualifier, Shaun Murphy has his sights firmly set on Crucible glory once more. He faces John Higgins in the semi-finals of this year's tournament, with the opportunity to double his haul having previously lifted the trophy back in 2005.

'The Magician', who ended Thursday's session all square at four frames apiece with Higgins, is one of the most popular figures on the World Snooker Tour and has taken quite the winding road to reach this stage. That turbulent journey has included two divorces, surgery that "saved his life" and a long-running feud with arguably the finest player ever to pick up a cue.

Here's a look into Murphy's personal life, starting with his two failed marriages...

Double divorce

Murphy, 43, has been married twice before his current engagement to fiancee Jo.

The Essex-born star wed his first wife, Clare, shortly after claiming the World Championship in 2005.

However, their marriage collapsed after Murphy became embroiled in a scandal in The People, which claimed he had spent the night with an escort while separated from Clare in 2008.

Murphy subsequently claimed the woman in question was a girlfriend from his teenage years he had reconnected with via Facebook, though he maintained he was unaware of her profession and insisted there had been no infidelity.

He later met his second wife, Elaine, with whom he has two children, Harry and Molly. The couple wed in 2016 and relocated to Dublin in an attempt to rescue their marriage but eventually chose to separate in 2023.

Fast forward to November 2025 when Murphy revealed he had become engaged to current partner Jo. The Magician appeared to be over the moon while recounting the significant moment.

"We went out for dinner and I had the ring in my pocket and it was all very low key," he said. "In the end, it didn't feel right to do it in the restaurant in front of a load of strangers, so we went home and had a drink and just did it in the privacy of our own home.

"It was a nice personal moment, and as I say, it was very special, it's been a long time coming. We're both really delighted, excited."

'Life-saving' surgery

At the lowest point of his battle with depression amid personal difficulties, Murphy's weight soared to 20 stone. Consequently, he chose to undergo a gastric sleeve operation in 2022 in an effort to tackle his eating habits.

The seasoned professional once admitted he was in a "very, very bad state mentally" due to his weight gain, and credits the gastric sleeve with saving his life, given the devastating impact his physique was having on his overall wellbeing.

"The surgery that I had in May last year has changed my life from top to bottom," he previously told Eurosport.

"I think whilst I did not go to see a doctor, had I have done I think someone would have signed me off with complete full depression. I was in a very, very bad state mentally.

"My self-esteem was through the floor and I did not want to go out and play. I did not want to leave the house and that spiralled into feeling miserable and eating more. I don't think it is too extreme to say it was life-saving for me."

Ronnie O'Sullivan feud

Murphy continues to harbour resentment towards Ronnie O'Sullivan over the way he was treated when he was merely 12 years old. O'Sullivan is seven years older than Murphy but the duo have faced each other since the 1990s.

And it will come as a shock to many within the snooker world to learn the severity of O'Sullivan's behaviour towards Murphy in years gone by.

"We fell out when I was young," said Murphy. "Ronnie verbally abused me when I was 12 and I never forgave him. I vividly remember it."

Despite harbouring that sense of bitterness or resentment, Murphy demonstrated his professionalism by acknowledging O'Sullivan's credentials as a player nonetheless.

"I still have immense respect for his levels of play as a snooker player," he continued. "I watch in awe at the things he's able to do, because I know how hard it is. His ability as a player is completely unmatched."

Further details of the alleged verbal abuse remain unknown, as does whether the pair have discussed the matter privately.

Nevertheless, they both continue to flourish in their respective snooker careers and have clashed three times over the past three years, with O'Sullivan having prevailed in 17 of their 23 encounters overall.

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