Dominic Dale was given nickname that he hates before stunning fans at World Seniors

Dominic Dale admitted to 'hating' his iconic nickname before giving the crowd a show to remember at the World Seniors Championship. The 53-year-old, known for his flamboyant hairstyles and serenading fans with songs, is through to the semi-finals after beating Joe Perry on Friday. He knocked in breaks of 97, 98 and 129 to book his place in the last four.

Dale walked to the stage in what appeared to be a black fur coat and a red fedora before putting in a dominant display at the table. Afterwards, he treated the post-match interviewer to a quick song, having gained a reputation for singing over the course of his career. The man from Coventry is one of snooker's larger-than-life characters but has never been a huge admirer of his famous nickname.

He is known as The Spaceman but told before the World Seniors that he did not know where it came from, suggesting that legendary announcer Alan Hughes may have coined it before his death last year.

"I heard a couple of stories that it came from the Grimsby boys, but they've said it's nothing to do with them," said Dale. "I also heard a story Jimmy White was asked about me on the Parkinson show.

"I'd beaten him in the semi finals of the 1997 Grand Prix, and he was asked: 'What do you think of this new kid on the block, this Dominic Dale?'. His answer was: 'He's a Spaceman'. That was bizarre.

"But Jimmy told me he'd never used the phrase 'Spaceman' in his life. It must've come from an MC who has sadly passed away now. It must've come from him to denote my personality. A lot of nicknames come from MCs."

Dale also joked that he was never fond of the nickname, adding: "I hate it. It belies my superior intellect! It's a bit derogatory, unless you take it in the right spirit. It was always good, though, when I played Ronnie O'Sullivan. The Spaceman versus The Rocket."

Back in 2014, Dale made headlines when he serenaded fans with an impromptu rendition of My Way by after winning the Snooker Shootout. His love for singing helped to develop his reputation as one of snooker's great entertainers.

"I was asked to do it," he explained. "The TV presenter at the time said: 'If you win this thing, will you sing?'. And I said: 'Yes, of course'. I was being interviewed after winning it, and all of a sudden this secondary microphone appeared out of nowhere.

"Then I realised I had to sing, so I did a bit of My Way, and changed the lyrics at the end of it to suit the snooker theme. That tournament was tailor-made for me, all the razzmatazz that came with it."

Earlier in his career, Dale was also known for his bleached hairstyle, which he took on after being inspired by one of his fellow players.

"The peroxide hair started when I used to hang out with the Australian player Quinten Hann," said Dale. "He was a very flamboyant guy, and we had similar personalities.

"I tried the peroxide thing, and found I really liked it. I've won two major tournaments with peroxide hair, the Shanghai Masters and the Shootout."