Stephen Lee

English professional snooker player who reached world number five in the 2000s before receiving snooker's longest-ever ban, 12 years, for match-fixing in 2013.

Born in Trowbridge, Wiltshire, on 12 October 1974, Stephen Lee turned professional in the early 1990s and developed a reputation as one of the most technically fluent players of his generation, earning the nickname 'Rolls-Royce' for the smoothness of his cue action. Lee won five ranking titles over his career, including the 2006 Welsh Open, in which he beat Ronnie O'Sullivan 9-4 in the final, and reached a career-high ranking of world number five. He reached World Championship semi-finals in 2003 and 2004, and was regarded during his peak as one of the more naturally gifted break-builders on tour. In September 2013, a WPBSA disciplinary tribunal found Lee guilty of seven charges relating to fixing matches and passing inside information to associates who profited by betting on the outcomes, in matches played at the 2008 Malta Cup, the 2008 UK Championship, and the 2009 China Open and World Championship. The tribunal chairman concluded Lee was 'not a cynical cheat' but a player who, under financial pressure, succumbed to improper conduct. He was banned for 12 years, the longest sanction in the sport's history, and ordered to pay costs; he maintained his innocence throughout and pursued an unsuccessful appeal. Lee's ban ended on his 50th birthday in October 2024, though an outstanding fine has continued to prevent his formal return to WPBSA-sanctioned competition. He has since made tentative appearances on the exhibition circuit.

Fluid, technically refined cue action with strong break-building

One of the most talented players of his generation, whose career ended in the sport's longest disciplinary ban