BACK IN THE DAY WITH: Mark Hylton who flew ‘Mile High’ to two major quarter-finals and has son making his name as a comedian
PDCWednesday, 01 July 2026 at 14:36
In this series, we regularly look back at the careers of darts players from the past. Today, it's the turn of Englishman Mark Hylton, who temporarily swapped his job as an airline steward for a career as a professional darts player.
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Born in London in 1966, Hylton spent many years competing on the amateur circuit before making his first notable breakthrough in 1997 by reaching the last 16 of the British Classic. His run came to an end against Phil Taylor, who proved too strong.
It then took until 2007 before Hylton made his television debut. At the UK Open, he defeated Ray Carver in the opening round before losing to fellow Englishman Mark Robinson.
From airline steward to Professional Darts Player
For many years, Hylton worked as an airline steward, but in 2010 he made the bold decision to dedicate himself to darts full-time.
Although he failed to qualify for the UK Open that year, he reached the final of a Pro Tour event in Australia later in the season, where he was eventually beaten by Dennis Priestley.
Later that year, Hylton secured a place at the Grand Slam of Darts through the ITV Wildcard Qualifier. In a qualifying tournament featuring more than 250 players, he claimed one of the four coveted spots.
On his televised debut, he was drawn into a tough group alongside Gary Anderson, Mark Webster, and Wayne Jones. Despite suffering three defeats, he gained valuable experience against some of the sport's established stars.
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World Championship Debut
Later that year came another major milestone. Thanks to strong performances on the Players Championship circuit, Hylton qualified for the 2011 PDC World Darts Championship, where he immediately caused a number of upsets.
In the opening round, he defeated former world champion Steve Beaton 3-2 in sets before eliminating ninth seed Colin Lloyd 4-2 to book his place in the last 16. His impressive run eventually came to an end against Mark Webster, but his performances earned widespread praise throughout the darts world. As a reward, Hylton received the PDC Best Newcomer Award for 2010.
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Two nine-darters and a breakthrough year
Hylton also began 2011 in outstanding fashion. At the Double16.com Cotgrave & Newark Opens, he threw a perfect nine-dart finish. Just six days later, he repeated the feat at an open tournament held at The Red Lion in Erdington, underlining his excellent form.
His strong performances continued at the biggest PDC events. At the UK Open, Hylton recorded impressive victories over Brian Woods, Geoff Whitworth, Andy Jenkins, Andrew Gilding, and Peter Wright, reaching his first televised major quarter-final. There, he was eventually beaten by Denis Ovens.
Mark Hylton in action.
Hylton also continued to impress on the Pro Tour. In Barnsley, he reached another semi-final after victories over Steve Beaton, Denis Ovens, Ronnie Baxter, and Michael van Gerwen, before Dave Chisnall ended his run.
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Those performances earned him qualification for the World Matchplay, where he faced the legendary Phil Taylor in the opening round. Despite producing an excellent display, Hylton narrowly lost 10-8 to the eventual champion.
Later that year, Hylton also qualified for the World Grand Prix. Although suffering from flu, he once again reached the quarter-finals after victories over Mark Walsh and fifth seed Simon Whitlock. He was eventually beaten 4-1 by Richie Burnett, but once again demonstrated that he could compete with the world's elite.
Difficult years
Following his breakthrough campaign, Hylton's career gradually began to decline.
At the 2012 World Championship, he was eliminated in the opening round by Vincent van der Voort. His Pro Tour form also dipped. Although he reached a handful of quarter-finals, he failed to qualify for the World Championship again.
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The downward trend continued over the following years. In 2013, he even missed qualification for the UK Open and earned just £2,400 in prize money throughout the entire season. His world ranking plummeted from 37th to 85th, costing him his PDC Tour Card.
Hylton attempted to regain his professional status through Q School but was unsuccessful. As an Associate Member, he continued playing in qualifiers and on the Challenge Tour. While he still reached several quarter-finals and one semi-final, he was never able to recapture the form that had made him one of the sport's most exciting newcomers.
After spending several more seasons on the Challenge Tour, Hylton decided to bring his PDC career to an end in 2017.
His career will primarily be remembered for his remarkable breakthrough in 2010 and 2011. In a short space of time, Hylton established himself as one of the most promising new players on the circuit. Although he never fully lived up to that early promise, his memorable World Championship victories, multiple nine-darters, and impressive performances on the biggest televised stages remain an enduring part of his legacy in the sport.
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Mark Hylton's World Championship Results
| Year | Result | Opponent | Score |
| 2011 | Third Round | Mark Webster | Lost (1-4) |
| 2012 | First Round | Vincent van der Voort | Lost (2-3) |
A short career, but a remarkable story
If we were to rank the greatest darts players of all time, Hylton would not feature particularly high on the list.
However, his story is one of those that captures the imagination. More than anything, it proves that you're never too old to pursue your dream of becoming a professional.
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Hylton was already approaching his mid-40s when he gave up his career in aviation to take a chance on professional darts. By reaching two PDC major quarter-finals, he also demonstrated that he possessed considerable talent.
His life story attracted significant media attention at the time. Ultimately, though, his career as a professional darts player was short-lived. Just as quickly as Hylton emerged on the big stage, he disappeared from it once again.
Brief comeback
Following the Covid-19 lockdown, Hylton returned to competitive darts. He once again won several local open tournaments and claimed a MAD title in the autumn of 2021.
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The last time "Mile High" was seen in action came during the qualifiers for the inaugural World Seniors Darts Championship, where he narrowly missed out on a place in the main event.
Son finds success as a comedian
Hylton is known not only as a former professional darts player but also as the father of stand-up comedian Alex Hylton. In 2020, Alex won the prestigious Best Show award at the Leicester Comedy Festival, one of the largest comedy festivals in the United Kingdom.
Samuel GillChief Content Officer
Samuel Gill is the Chief Content Officer (CCO) of DartsNews.com, a role he has held since 2020. He is responsible for editorial governance across the platform, including setting content standards, overseeing accuracy and consistency, and guiding long-term editorial strategy across professional darts coverage. Since joining, he has contributed more than 10,000 articles and editorial pieces, playing a central role in the development and daily operation of the site.
Based in Leicester, Samuel has extensive experience in darts media and has been closely involved in coverage of the professional darts circuit for several years. Within the UK darts community, he is a recognised figure known for his consistent editorial output and ongoing reporting on major tournaments and developments across the PDC calendar.
In his current role, Samuel works closely with editors and writers to ensure content meets clear journalistic standards, with a focus on source verification, editorial consistency, and timely updates when new, confirmed information becomes available.
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