"Disappointed that people thought it was between me and Nathan": Stephen Bunting says Premier League spot was deserved, vows to ditch People's Champion moniker

Stephen Bunting opened his 2026 Bahrain Darts Masters campaign with a 6–2 victory over Ryusei Azemoto, producing a performance that was comfortable for long spells before a brief nervous finish.

The former world championship semi-finalist looked in control for most of the contest, but admitted afterwards that complacency crept in as he neared the finish line. “Just a bit of complacency, to be honest,” Bunting said post match to the media. “I felt great throughout the game and felt in control, but I was just eager to get over the line and that put a bit of pressure on myself. I know I can’t do that again. You can afford to do it when you’re 5–1 up, but you can’t do that tomorrow when you’re playing Michael van Gerwen.”

Bunting was the last of the PDC representatives to take to the stage, with the added pressure of knowing every other seed had already progressed. “Yeah, of course it does make it harder. All eyes are on me then, aren’t they? No one wants to lose, especially when everyone else has won. But I also knew I wanted to put a performance in. I felt like I played well in most patches and, like you said, I was just a bit hesitant getting over the line. I’m happy with the win.”

The victory marked another step in what Bunting hopes will be a season where strong performances finally convert into consistent results. Despite finishing last year in impressive form statistically, the big moments did not always go his way. “There were a lot of things going on that people didn’t see. I’m not one to make excuses, so I kept them to myself. But I feel fresh, I feel great going into this season. I’m really looking forward to being back in the Premier League. That alone is massive for confidence. I’m still world number seven. I know I’ve dropped a few places, but there are targets there to get back into the top four.”

A key part of Bunting’s reset has been addressing how heavily he allowed rankings pressure to affect him during the latter stages of last year. “Yeah, 100%. Like the others, I worried about that top-four spot for nine months of the year and it affected me on the oche and off it as well. I was looking at the rankings every single day. I know how good I am, but I need to stay away from rankings and just concentrate on my game. I’m one of the best players in the world and I need to focus on darts rather than earnings, money and all that stuff.”

Bunting also reflected on the late notice of his Premier League inclusion, which he described as emotional given his previous experience in the tournament. “I was disappointed that people thought it was between me and Nathan,” he said. “I believe I deserved to be in. I’m world number seven, I won six tournaments last year and reached around ten finals. I’ve got a great fan base and a great walk-on. People don’t talk about walk-ons, but I honestly believe I deserve to be there, and I’m going to show everyone that I do.”

The Premier League call-up carried extra weight for Bunting, who was dropped from the competition over a decade ago and admits it affected him deeply. “It really killed me when I got dropped 11 years ago. It affected me for years. Two or three years after that, I was really down and almost looking to pack it in. I’m just thankful that the PDC saw the opportunity to put me back in. I’m grateful, and I want to repay their faith with great performances and a lot of wins.”

Rather than feeling weighed down by expectation, Bunting insists the pressure is off this time around. “I think the pressure is off, to be honest. I lost the first eight games last year and that’s not going to happen again, I can assure you of that. My aim this year is to make the majors my ultimate focus. I’m going to pull back a bit from exhibitions, stay fresh for the tour and give everything to it. The Premier League means everything to me.”

Behind the scenes, Bunting has also made changes to protect his mindset, including stepping further away from social media and external noise. “I’ve already got people looking after my social media, so I rarely see the negatives. The ‘people’s champion’ stuff was tongue-in-cheek and maybe a mistake, but I’ll never mention it again. It’s all about performances now. We’ve got one of the greatest fan bases in the world and you’ve seen it again here in Bahrain. They’re a massive part of what I’m able to do.”

Physically, Bunting says he feels sharper than he has in some time, though he is keeping the details of his preparation close to his chest. “I don’t want to give anyone the ammunition to copy what I’m doing,” he smiled. “But I feel fitter, more awake, and I feel really good stepping onto the oche now. I’ve lost a bit of timber and I’ve got a great mental team behind me. Without my family, my management, my sponsors and my fans, I’d probably have packed it in a long time ago. Their faith keeps me going.”

Reflecting on last year’s Premier League campaign, Bunting believes familiarity will be a major advantage this time around. “It felt like starting a new school last year. You’re nervous, you don’t know what to expect. Playing week in, week out in front of 10–12,000 is very different to what we’re used to. This year I know exactly what to expect. I’m eager, I’m raring to go, and I can’t wait. I’ve got a big year ahead of me and I want to repay that faith with great performances – and hopefully more than one win.”