Getting into professional snooker was one thing. Proving she belonged there was another.

In Part 3 of our Legends of the Cue conversation, Michaela Tabb reveals how difficult her early years on the professional snooker tour really were. Hired without the traditional referee apprenticeship, she learned almost everything on the job while navigating resentment from some established officials and the pressure of being the only woman in the room.

Michaela remembers the referees who supported her, the extraordinary concentration required to officiate professional snooker, and even why she initially avoided wearing perfume because she didn’t want players to feel their familiar competitive environment had changed.

Then came 2003.

After working tirelessly to establish herself, Michaela was unexpectedly released during cost-cutting measures. She describes the anger and devastation of losing the role—and why being invited back months later ultimately meant even more than being hired in the first place.

From there, her career accelerated.

Michaela recounts walking through the famous Crucible Theatre curtains for the first time, the overwhelming atmosphere inside snooker’s most iconic venue and the constant feeling that, as the only female referee, every mistake would receive additional scrutiny.

Finally, she takes us inside the defining assignment of her career: the 2009 World Snooker Championship final between John Higgins and Shaun Murphy.

After spending an entire season worried that one mistake might cost her the assignment, Michaela became the first woman ever to referee a World Championship final—and walked away on “Cloud Nine.”

Give Allison, Mark & Mike some feedback via Text.

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Music by Lyrium.

About

"Legends of the Cue" is a cue sports history podcast featuring interviews with influential figures from across the world of cue sports—including pocket billiards, snooker, and carom disciplines such as three-cushion billiards. We highlight the people, places, and moments that have shaped the game—celebrating iconic players, memorable events, historic venues, and the brands that helped define generations of play. With a focus on the positive spirit of the sport, our goal is to create a rich, engaging, and timeless archive of stories that fans can enjoy now and for years to come.

Co-hosted by WPA and BCA Hall of Fame member Allison Fisher and Mosconi Cup player and captain Mark Wilson, Legends of the Cue brings these stories to life—told in the voices of the game’s greatest figures.

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