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The Irish Sun
14-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
Two-time darts world champion, 40, reveals he is at ‘crossroads' in major retirement hint
ADRIAN LEWIS admits he's standing at a 'crossroads' as he contemplates a return to professional darts. Two-times World Champion Lewis has been competing at exhibition events throughout the UK this year. 3 Adrian Lewis has hinted that he may soon return to the world of competitive darts Credit: Getty 3 The two-time world champion stepped away from the competitive game and has since been playing exhibition events Credit: Getty But the Stoke-on-Trent thrower has been absent from competitive action for over 26 months. "Jackpot" had previously stepped away from the oche due to the stress of the game and to care for his ill wife Sarah. He told the Tops and Tales podcast: 'Sarah's got an incurable kidney disease, so we obviously spent a lot of time in hospital. 'My daughter, she's got autism and ADHD, so she's got them both combined. So, she's on disability. READ MORE ON DARTS 'So, and all that like, like I said, she's at our level, our level needs. But yeah, she's still a diamond like, you know.' The 40-year-old is currently unable to compete in PDC events after his Tour Card expired at the end of 2024. Four-times major winner Lewis insists there's no chance of a half-hearted return to the big stage as he weighs up his next move carefully. Lewis added: 'I mean, we'll see where January takes us in regards to going back to professional darts. Most read in Darts JOIN SUN VEGAS: GET £50 BONUS 3 It has been 26 months since Lewis last played a competitive game of darts Credit: PA 'You know, obviously, I'll never write it off and say I'm, you know, I never go back to the PDC because that would be my aim again. 'But I wouldn't turn up there, say I won my Tour Card back and then after six months, say no, I wasn't ready for it. Darts icon Bobby George shows off amputated TOE he keeps in vodka after it was chopped off by 'big pair of nail cutters' 'I want to make sure I'm 100 per cent ready, mentally right and just go at it all guns blazing. 'I feel, I mean, I haven't really said anything to anybody else really. I feel as if like it's a crossroads. Do you know what I mean?" List of all-time Darts World Champions BELOW is a list of darts world champions by year. The list does not include winners from the pre-Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) era or BDO world champions. That means Raymond van Barneveld, for example, is only listed once - Barney also won four BDO titles - and none of Eric Bristow's five BDO titles are included. 1994 - Dennis Priestley 1995 - Phil Taylor 1996 - Phil Taylor (2) 1997 - Phil Taylor (3) 1998 - Phil Taylor (4) 1999 - Phil Taylor (5) 2000 - Phil Taylor (6) 2001 - Phil Taylor (7) 2002 - Phil Taylor (8) 2003 - John Part 2004 - Phil Taylor (9) 2005 - Phil Taylor (10) 2006 - Phil Taylor (11) 2007 - Raymond van Barneveld 2008 - John Part (2) 2009 - Phil Taylor (12) 2010 - Phil Taylor (13) 2011 - Adrian Lewis 2012 - Adrian Lewis (2) 2013 - Phil Taylor (14) 2014 - Michael van Gerwen 2015 - Gary Anderson 2016 - Gary Anderson (2) 2017 - Michael van Gerwen (2) 2018 - Rob Cross 2019 - Michael van Gerwen (3) 2020 - Peter Wright 2021 - Gerwyn Price 2022 - Peter Wright (2) 2023 - Michael Smith 2024 - Luke Humphries 2025 - Luke Littler Most World Titles 14 - Phil Taylor 3 - Michael van Gerwen 2 - John Part, Adrian Lewis, Gary Anderson, Peter Wright 1 - Dennis Priestley, Raymond van Barneveld, Rob Cross, Gerwyn Price, Michael Smith, Luke Humphries, Luke Littler
The Irish Sun
30-06-2025
- Sport
- The Irish Sun
I worked 12-hour days as a roofer before becoming a darts star… there's no chance I would suffer from burnout
DAMON HETA vows he wouldn't get Premier League 'burnout' because he worked 12-hour days as a roofer in Australia! The Aussie admits breaking into the PDC's top four Order of Merit is his big target as he has ambitions of playing in the prestigious PL. Advertisement 2 Damon Heta used to work as a roofer in Australia Credit: Rex 2 He has insisted he will not suffer from burnout Credit: Getty World No. 10 Heta reached the semi-final of the US Masters last weekend but was knocked out by Nathan Aspinall despite averaging 104 and thumping in the big fish. 'The Heat' has been in good form this year as he won Players Championship 13 and made the final of European Darts Open. Heta is confident burnout won't hold him back if he gets a Premier League call-up — claiming the grind of the PDC schedule is easy after years of back-breaking work on roofs Down Under. He told the Tops and Tales podcast: 'Yeah, I'd love getting into that top four and the Premier League. Advertisement READ MORE ON DARTS " 'Players talk about burnout and playing too much. But I practice pretty much four hours every day, two here and two there minimum — sometimes even more. 'I always look back and think, you know what I did? I did 12-hour days, six days a week, roofing. 'If I can't chuck darts for 12 hours a day, you know what I mean? Because I can always compare it to back then.' Advertisement Most read in Darts JOIN SUN VEGAS: GET £50 BONUS He added: 'If I'm ever down about where I am or what I'm doing, I just think, you know what? I've come this far. 'I could be doing this or that. Man, I'm very lucky. I'm throwing darts for a living and I'm travelling. Damon Heta stuns World Darts Championship crowd with incredible nine-darter and even his opponent celebrates 'Even doing an exhibition — you get paid half decent to do an exhibition. Advertisement 'People want to come see you for four or five hours to chuck some darts and have a bit of fun. Man, that's insane.' Former World Cup winner Heta boasts the fourth-highest checkout rate on tour at a tidy 43.13 per cent in 2025.
Irish Daily Mirror
25-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Daily Mirror
Darts ace Jonny Clayton's wife to blame for 'thousands lost'
Jonny Clayton jocularly holds his wife responsible for a choice that, in his view, might have cost him a tidy sum. At 50 years old, Clayton recently made it to the final of the World Cup of Darts with teammate Gerwyn Price but ultimately lost to the Northern Irish duo of Daryl Gurney and Josh Rock, who clinched victory after a tense sudden-death leg in Frankfurt. At every dart event, fans are immediately aware of Clayton's presence as his entrance song is none other than Chuck Berry's legendary Johnny B. Goode. Nevertheless, his walk-on routine could have had a different vibe altogether, had he chosen the renowned hit Mr Brightside by the Killers. It was his wife who advised against opting for this particular track. Instead, Nathan Aspinall adopted Mr Brightside as his entrance music, which has subsequently become one of the most iconic darts anthems. A few of Aspinall's rivals, including Dave Chisnall and Mike De Decker, have voiced their criticism at the PDC's pick of Aspinall for this season's Premier League, reports Wales Online. They suggest that his walkout song may have swayed his selection for its "entertainment" value over his darts prowess. Being part of the Premier League entails playing for sizeable cash prizes, with £10,000 on the line for each nightly win and even larger sums for advancing to the final stages. With a hint of humour, Clayton suggested that if not for his wife's aversion to Mr Brightside, that prize money might have been his. Jonny Clayton shared a light-hearted anecdote on the Tops and Tales podcast about how his wife, Ellen, influenced his walk-on song choice for the Premier League, mentioning: "Well, right, you couldn't believe this or not, but I think Ellen, my wife, has cost me thousands in the Premier League because the walk-on song I wanted was Mr. Brightside. "Serious to God. So I blame Ellen. Yeah, it was Mr Brightside, and she said, 'No, I think something else. I don't think that would be good.' So it's her fault. So yeah, that's true. Mr Brightside." Discussing with Nathan Aspinall about the situation, Clayton added with a chuckle: "I have told Nathan. Yeah, he just laughs. He goes, 'Thank you, Ellen.'". Despite not having his preferred tune, Clayton remains positive about his current theme music, insisting: "It's still iconic in its own way, you know. It's got my name in it." In his Premier League debut year in 2021, the Welsh darts star took down Michael van Gerwen with a 10-8 victory in the semi-final. He rounded off an incredible first-time campaign in the Premier League Darts by triumphing over Jose de Sousa in the final with an 11-5 score, netting a cool £250,000 in prize money. On this year's ProTour, Clayton is nailing it, bagging the Players Championship 14 title back in April, and notching up his third European Tour title at the Dutch Darts Championship last month. On the PDC Order of Merit, Clayton holds the World No. 5 spot, having raked in £557,750 from PDC events over the past two years.
Scottish Sun
24-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Scottish Sun
Darts star, 50, claims his wife has cost him thousands by rejecting walk-on song and rival has taken advantage
LOOK ON THE BRIGHTSIDE Darts star, 50, claims his wife has cost him thousands by rejecting walk-on song and rival has taken advantage Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) DARTS star Jonny Clayton has joked his wife has cost him thousands of pounds during his career. The Ferret is ranked No5 in the world and he has won four majors. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 2 Jonny Clayton joked his wife has cost him thousands of pounds Credit: Getty 2 Nathan Aspinall uses the walk-on song Clayton always wanted Credit: PA He reached the World Cup final this month alongside Gerwyn Price for Wales, yet has been overlooked for Premier League Darts in the last two years. Clayton, 50, joked it is because he chose the wrong walk-on song thanks to some questionable advice from his wife Ellen. He said on the Tops and Tales podcast: 'Well, right, you could believe this or not, but I think Ellen, my wife, has cost me thousands in the Premier League because the walk-on song I wanted was Mr. Brightside. 'Serious to God. So I blame Ellen. Yeah, it was Mr Brightside, and she said, 'No, I think something else. I don't think that would be good.' READ MORE IN DARTS PRICED OUT Bed-ridden Gerwyn Price forced to withdraw from tournament at last minute 'So it's her fault. So yeah, that's true. Mr Brightside.' The song has instead been adopted by Clayton's rival, Nathan Aspinall. It has proved immensely popular at venues around Europe with some players claiming it has helped him get picked for the Premier League. Clayton revealed he has spoken about the song with Aspinall, saying: 'I have told Nathan. Yeah, he just laughs. He goes, 'Thank you, Ellen.'' CASINO SPECIAL - BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITS Darts stars Dave Chisnall and Mike De Decker were vocal in their criticism of this year's Premier League Darts selection. De Decker shared a post which read: "Mike De Decker becomes the first player in the 20-year history of the Premier League to win a major televised on Sky Sports and not be selected. Sickening." Nathan Aspinall hailed for classy interview after winning Darts Premier League Chisnall did not hold back either, making it clear that he felt some players may have been picked for more than just their results at the oche. He said: "The Premier League line-up was hardly surprising this week, but you'd have to be gutted if you were someone like a Mike de Decker or Damon Heta. "I never expected to get a phone call – despite being World No.6 – because of how poor I've been on TV this year. "But Mike can feel let down after his great run at The Grand Prix. Maybe being No.24 in the world counted against him. "Nathan and Gerwyn can both feel a bit lucky in my opinion to be involved this year. "Gezzy has had a lot going and struggled in 2024, whilst Nathan has done similarly. "His run to the quarter-finals of the Worlds probably got him involved, that and everyone loving his Mr Brightside theme song. "It's a great entrance, but it should be about the darts, and not your walk-on that gets you involved in these big competitions. "Nothing against them personally, as both great lads and get on well with, but it should be about your actions on the dartboard, not on a song and a dance. "Damo [Heta] is another who I think can feel unlucky, whilst it's good to see Chris Dobey and Steven Bunting rewarded with a spot. "It seems like something of a changing of the guard with no Michael Smith and no Peter Wright."
Wales Online
24-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Wales Online
Welsh darts star claims wife's rejection has cost him thousands - 'It's her fault'
Welsh darts star claims wife's rejection has cost him thousands - 'It's her fault' There is now plenty of money to be made in darts if you're a top player, but one Welsh arrows star believes he could have made more were it not for his other half Jonny Clayton recently reached the World Cup of Darts final playing with Gerwyn Price (Image: Florian Wiegand, Getty Images ) Jonny Clayton has light-heartedly blamed his wife for a costly decision he believes has cost him thousands of pounds. Clayton, 50, recently reached the World Cup of Darts final while playing alongside Gerwyn Price. The duo went on to lose to Northern Ireland pair Daryl Gurney and Josh Rock, who won in a dramatic sudden death leg in Frankfurt. Fans instantly know when Clayton is in the building, as he walks out to Chuck Berry's Johnny B. Goode at every event. However, he could have been walking out to Mr Brightside by the Killers, were it not for his wife. She advised him against using the hit anthem. Instead, Nathan Aspinall picked the song as his walkout tune and it has since become one of the most popular anthems in darts. Some of Aspinall's competitors, including Dave Chisnall and Mike De Decker, criticised the PDC for choosing Aspinall in the recent Premier League season, suggesting his walkout tune booked him a place for "entertainment" value, instead of the quality of his darts. Being part of the Premier League means competing for substantial prize money, with £10,000 up for grabs for each nightly victory and even more for reaching the final stages. Clayton joked it would have been him, were it not for his wife's dislike of Mr Brightside. Reflecting on the situation and referencing the remarks made by Chisnall and De Decker, Clayton humorously said on the Tops and Tales podcast: "Well, right, you couldn't believe this or not, but I think Ellen, my wife, has cost me thousands in the Premier League because the walk-on song I wanted was Mr. Brightside. Article continues below "Serious to God. So I blame Ellen. Yeah, it was Mr Brightside, and she said, 'No, I think something else. I don't think that would be good.' So it's her fault. So yeah, that's true. Mr Brightside." Clayton walks on to Johnny B. Goode by Chuck Berry (Image: Getty ) The world No. 5 has also spoken to Aspinall about his feelings of regret, saying: "I have told Nathan. Yeah, he just laughs. He goes, 'Thank you, Ellen.'" Clayton has insisted that his own tune is still strong, saying: "It's still iconic in its own way, you know. It's got my name in it." The Welsh ace won the Premier League at his first attempt in 2021. He beat Michael van Gerwen with a score of 10-8 in the semi-final. Clayton is currently the World No. 5 (Image: Getty ) Article continues below He then ensured his debut Premier League Darts campaign was an unforgettable one by besting Jose de Sousa 11-5 finish in the final. The Ferret bagged himself £250,000 with his brilliance in the competition. Clayton has been showcasing top-notch form on this year's ProTour, including a title win at Players Championship 14 back in April. Continuing his successful streak, he seized his third European Tour title more recently at the Dutch Darts Championship in the previous month. On the PDC Order of Merit, Clayton is the World No. 5, having earned £557,750 in PDC events over the last two years.
