Hearn on current state of BDO after Jacklin returns as chairman: "I find it a little bit amusing because it's carnage, you really couldn't write the script"
PDC
Barry Hearn has said that the situation in the BDO currently is 'amusing' and that it should be turned into a film after Des Jacklin was reappointed as BDO Chairman a few weeks ago.
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Jacklin himself resigned from his post in February and as Hearn noted he went on to write an essay like statement where he spoke about his tenure only for him to return to the helm a few weeks later after receiving the votes of 66 percent of the counties.
For Hearn, it is mind boggling that he has returned so soon after and that they are in an even worse position than the end of his first tenure.
"I have no idea what’s going on with the BDO but I think there’s a movie there somewhere." said Hearn to Metro.co.uk. "It is a soap opera isn’t it?"
"It’s disaster upon disaster. Man falls on sword and writes the most amazing few pages of dialogue criticising everybody, slaughtering everybody and leaving in a fit of anger.
Fast forward a few days, 66% of the counties vote him back! You couldn’t write it. If he wants an easy life then he’s crazy because he couldn’t be coming back to a worse position could he?"
"Nothing’s happening. What’s he going to do with his TV, venues, ticket sales? God knows. Even when we come back there’s going to be a reticence from a lot of people to go to live events because the fear factor will still be there."
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BDO Chairman Des Jacklin
Issues before Jacklin's reign
Hearn went on to speak about the BDO's fate and admitted it's been sealed for years due to the management involved and that when Jacklin joined, he should have looked for the help of the PDC.
‘I think the BDO, it’s a terrible thing to say, but I find it a little bit amusing because it’s carnage, you really couldn’t write the script," he added.
‘They’ve been doing it for years,’ said the PDC chairman. ‘The management at the BDO has been appalling from day one.
‘Clearly no reality, they needed a reality check and I thought they had it [when Jacklin was first voted in]. I thought at last, common sense!
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‘All they needed to do was come and ask: “How do you see it Barry? How do you see it Matt [Porter, PDC chief executive]? How could you help?”
‘We’d have said: “Do you want me to go and get you a TV contract? Do you want me to go and get you a sponsor?” It’s a phone call. Not being funny, I’ve got significant sway.’
Issues with emergence of WDF
Hearn previously spoke about offering out an olive branch to the WDF and admitted that while meetings have taken place, they don't have the money and that organisations like the BDO have to stop believing they are something they are not.
"The WDF have some big plans but these guys have no money. I’m sorry to be so basic about it, but unless you’ve got the finance for a business, you can’t launch a business."
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"One of their biggest problems is that they believe something that they clearly are not. I think the BDO have always thought they have a certain position in the world which was not justified by the reality of what the world is.
Therefore, it’s very difficult for them to start from scratch. ‘The WDF would have a better chance by saying, “right we don’t know what we’re doing, we haven’t got any money but we’ve got the sanctioning ability and the credibility of the name.”
"But you need the infrastructure of the counties etc, People who do it for nothing because they have passion, they’re essential part of any sport once you get off the mainstream. But you’ve got to realise that you can’t compete with the mainstream."
"It's so embarrassing"
Hearn also spoke about the issue he has with the BDO calling itself a Professional World Darts Championship and that he is glad he didn't take the organisation over when he offered.
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‘The first thing they’ve got to do is stop calling that poxy event the World Professional Darts Championship,’ he continued.
‘It’s so embarrassing, it pisses me off and it slightly, not very much now, slightly confuses the marketplace.
‘I don’t want the aggravation of amateur darts, I’m never going to take it over, I tried to take it over, £2m I offered them! I must have been mad! What was I thinking of? It wasn’t worth it then. It’s not worth two bob now.
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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- Probably i will receive a lot of backlash and hate for this reaction, but well, so be it. I am more than sick and tired of those lies of you Barry Hearn. How dare you defend yourself over the back of Fallon’s son! He has a disability and not an illness, so let me correct that for you! I know because I have the exact same disability. I have tried to reach out to Fallon in the past, and offered her to help her and her son, because I was struggling with the same problems, and I understood the boy. I wanted him to have finally someone who understood him. However she told me that she did not want my help, and I have respected Fallon’s choice. I have never asked Fallon for money. They don’t need money in that case. I only ever wanted the best for Fallon and Rory, but I have to be honest about the situation. Fallon should tell the true story and not be forced to tell lies. I don’t hate Fallon, and I don’t begrudge or envy a single penny that she gets, but this situation/case is just not fair. I hate the lies and the dishonesty and injustice. I don’t want Fallon to be hated because there is an unfair disadvantage created. Don’t proclaim your false lies over the back of Rory! I only stand for integrity and justice. I am precisely the one who always sticks up for Fallon. And you don't, you don't give a damn about them. You were never there for them, and now you only want to save your own position! You are just trying to talk your way out of your own bad behavior at the expense of someone with a disability. And to Fallon, I don’t know if this may ever reach you, and you read it, but I want you to know I love you and I love your son Rory very much, I am sorry how things developed and went. I hope you and Harriet are still friends. I am sorry if I were too persistent to you, or you experienced it that way, but it was never my intention. Please understand I have autism as well. As Barry Hearn would say, I am only just a human being too, and I also make mistakes and misjudge things sometimes. I promise you I did everything out of the deepest love and care for you and Rory. If I were you, I should just keep all the money, only please never be dishonest or tell lies anymore for Barry Hearn, or anyone else. I hope you have the best life, and I wish nothing more than the best for you. I have always loved the two of you. Farewell.Hiddo05-11-2026