Bulgarian official Desislava Bozhilova will be in charge of this year’s World Snooker Championship final, with her secret cooking passion and past irks with Ronnie O’Sullivan
Referee Desislava Bozhilova will fulfil a ‘dream’ when she steps up to officiate the World Snooker Championship final, becoming only the second woman to take charge of the Crucible showpiece.
The 32-year-old made her World Snooker Tour debut in 2012, having grown up an avid cue sport enthusiast, and has made significant inroads into becoming one of the professional game’s finest. Desi first entered the Crucible in 2019 and has officiated a semi-final at the historic venue. However, 2025 will mark her crowning glory as she completes a Triple Crown of finals.
Mirror Sport takes an in-depth look into the Bulgarian’s life away from the table, including her keen baking interests, as well as a past heated exchange with the iconic Ronnie O’Sullivan, and her thoughts on a final ‘dream’ come true.
Ronnie O’Sullivan exchange
During The Rocket’s quarter-final clash against Stuart Bingham 12 months ago, O’Sullivan took issue early with how referee Bozhilova had respotted a black, turning down a red in the 12th frame.
As the clash reached its climax, with O’Sullivan and his opponent poised on 10 frames apiece, fans entered the arena as the other match on the floor – Kyren Wilson and John Higgins’ bout – was about to start after a mid-session break.
O’Sullivan went back to his chair as crowd noise ensued, waiting to take aim at a crucial red, and Bozhilova uttered to spectators: “Would you take your seats quickly, and then hold the door closed for a minute.”
As the official gestured to The Rocket to return to the table, he refused, still put off by the noise in the crowd, to which Bozhilova said: “But we might wait 20 minutes.” O’Sullivan quickly replied, quipping: “It’s not 20 minutes. Just chill, chill.”
“I’m chilled,” was the referee’s response. This frosty interaction wouldn’t aid O’Sullivan in the match, but it did see him sink the top-right corner-positioned red. He would fall 13-10 to opponent Bingham, and see his hopes of an eight Crucible crown blown to pieces.
Passion for baking
Not only does Bozhilova hold a Masters degree in Landscape Architecture, but she is also an expert cake-maker, and shows off her skills on social media.
The Bulgarian’s Instagram page is filled to the brim with bright and intricate baked designs, including Christmas trees, unicorns and snooker balls – all of which are loved by her 37,000 followers.
Officiating origin and Crucible’ dream’
The 32-year-old played pool and snooker growing up in her native Bulgaria before she swapped a cue for white gloves. In 2012, she passed her exam to become an international referee and made her WST debut that year.
When she was informed she’d become only the second woman to take charge of a Crucible final, the other being the trailblazing Michaela Tabb in 2009 and 2012, Bozhilova admitted that this honour was a true ‘dream’.
“I am really excited, it was an amazing feeling when I was given the news,” she told World Snooker. “It is what I have worked towards for many years, it has been my dream. It will be different to any other final because of the atmosphere at the Crucible.
“Since I started working in snooker, I have learned everything from the more experienced referees. They give advice and tell us how to improve. There is a lot of teamwork, and we support each other,” she joyously concluded.
