Matt Gatward: Beeb misses a trick by ignoring Ronnie's X-Factor

At the start of the year Ronnie O'Sullivan spoke of the need for snooker to pump some Simon Cowell X-Factor oxygen into the sport's lungs to bring it back to life, up the attraction and add some colour to the fading baize. Long gone are the dizzying days of The Whirlwind and The Hurricane blowing through the Crucible and it's left to The Rocket single-handedly (or ambidextrously in his case) to fire the interest for the non-snooker loopy among us.

So you can only imagine what Ronnie would have made of the Beeb's coverage – presented by the pallid pairing of Steve Davis and John Parrott – of his blistering start to his world title defence in Sheffield on Saturday. His language would doubtless have been as colourful as the balls on the table as his match was hidden away on BBC interactive, only available via that red button. Once that was ascertained, the magic button pressed, the options loaded and selected, Ronnie was there all right stroking in a 140 break in his second frame against Stuart Bingham. It was breathtaking cueing, snooker at its best, full of the glitz that only Ronnie – and maybe Cowell – can offer.

Following his clearance the crowd erupted (as much as is possible at 10.15am) and the Rocket shot out of the arena for a toilet visit. Surely that three-minute break would be the cue for the men with the mics, Dennis Taylor and John Virgo, to eulogise about the potting, to sing Ronnie's sexiness, discuss his break-building, maybe even replay some of the best shots? Oh no. Seemingly, John and Dennis had popped to the lav as well because the viewer was treated to a three-minute close-up of the not-so-camera-friendly mug of Bingham as he gazed around the arena. Not a word uttered from the commentary booth, not a replay in sight.

Not exactly sexy stuff. No one's asking for the camera to pan to Danni Minogue and Cheryl Cole engaged in a naked mud-wrestle to determine the winner of the match – although that would, of course, have been preferable to a study of Bingham's bonce – but a bit of feedback, highlights, discussion would have been an obvious and welcome addition.

You may argue Ronnie's cueing speaks for itself and Cheryl having Danni locked in a mucky half-nelson by the side of the table would dumb the sport down, just as aficionados believe the mooted introduction of Super Sixes, a Twenty20-style format where just the six reds are on the green, is an insult to the game. But snooker's not in rude health. The BBC's contract is up for renewal next year and the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association may decide it has no choice but to move the World Championship away from its Sheffield home to foreign fields, where hunger for the sport is larger and sponsors are queueing up.

The Beeb would do well, then, to showcase the most talented players and sell the socks off their feats. In other words, listen to – and talk about – Ronnie.

Willis's style cramped by Chelmsford box

How wonderful to see Bob Willis back behind the mic on Sky Sports yesterday. Not that he looked entirely comfortable, crushed into the Chelmsford commentary box with his knees up by his ears.