"I can make a 3–0 defeat fun, I’m box office that’s just me": Ricky Evans dumps out James Wade in thriller, calls referee incident 'heat of the moment'

Ricky Evans lived up to his reputation for drama, entertainment and sheer nerve as he battled through a marathon five-set epic at the 2026 World Darts Championship, digging deep to book his place in round three and a return to Alexandra Palace after Christmas once again.

The Kettering thrower admitted he had never felt nerves quite like it against James Wade, describing the contest as a rollercoaster that could easily have gone either way. Despite being outscored across the match, Evans found a way to win at the PDC World Darts Championship when it mattered most, repeatedly holding his nerve in sets that swung back and forth against the throw.

“I’ve never been so animated or nervous in my life,” Evans said. “I probably wasn’t the better player stats-wise — he probably won about twelve legs more than me — but I got three sets and he got two. That’s all that matters.”

Evans raced into early leads only to be pegged back time and again, with every set turning into a scrap. He joked that a straight-sets win would have been over in 20 minutes, but instead he was forced into another Ally Pally marathon something that has become a familiar theme throughout his World Championship career.

Despite advancing, Evans was brutally honest about his own self-belief, admitting confidence remains his biggest battle. “I don’t have confidence. I don’t believe in myself,” he said. “I can play as well as anyone here, but I don’t always do it. I averaged 88, but who cares? I’m through. There are a lot better players than me who are already out.”

The defining moment came in sudden death, where Evans finally converted a 99 checkout after missing a host of match darts earlier in the leg. While many players thrive on time at the oche, Evans explained why combination finishes suit his rapid rhythm far more.

“If you give a fast player like me three darts at a double, I’ll probably miss them,” he admitted. “Give me a combination shot — boom, boom, boom — I’ll get it.”

The finish carried extra emotion, too, with Evans revealing a personal connection to double 16, a number he associated with his sister. “She was terrible at 16 — she was a tops girl,” he laughed.

Victory means Evans will once again return to the World Championship after Christmas — something he once claimed to hate, before quickly changing his tune.

“This makes Christmas brilliant,” he smiled. “It’ll just be mum, dad, the dog and me. My girlfriend’s working, but now she has to come back to Ally Pally again — she’s a Liverpool fan, so she’s one of them.”

However, Evans knows the biggest challenge lies ahead. Having beaten another seed, he now faces the familiar danger of an unseeded opponent — a hurdle he admits has tripped him up too often in the past.

“Every year I do this. I beat the seed and then lose the next game,” he said. “I need to focus. I don’t want to go on holiday in January as a last-32 or last-64 loser. I want to do bits in this game.”

The match also featured a moment of controversy when Evans reacted to referee Charlie Corstorphine calling his throw illegal and then giving him a sarcastic point as he hit the double next throw. While he admitted it was instinctive, he insisted there was no malice involved.

“It was just heat of the moment,” he explained. “If I’d lost the leg or the match because of it, I wouldn’t have taken it out on him.”

As ever, Evans leaned into his reputation as one of darts’ great entertainers, revelling in the atmosphere and the crowd’s unwavering support. He joked that while he might not be Premier League standard, the competition would be better for having him in it.

“Tell me a boring match I’ve been in,” he said. “I can make a 3–0 defeat fun. I’m box office — that’s just me.”

That entertainment value extended beyond the oche, with Evans embracing the “different gravy” theme that followed his performance. Despite a long-running joke about his dislike of gravy, he revealed he may now be forced to pay up on a bet that involved drinking a pint of it — something he suggested could “change his life”.

For all the humour, Evans also opened up about the emotional weight of playing in front of such a passionate crowd. While their support can add pressure in big moments, he admitted the highs are unlike anything else in the sport.

“When you hit, it’s unbelievable. Goosebumps,” he said. “That 144 earlier — that took me back ten years to when I beat Simon Whitlock. That’s why we do this.”

Still proudly describing himself as “just a working darts player”, Evans remains bemused by the affection he receives wherever he goes, from Ally Pally to motorway service stations.

“I’m not Luke Littler, I’m not Luke Humphries, I’m not Gerwyn Price,” he said. “I’m Ricky Evans from Kettering. But people always seem to love me — and long may it continue.”

Whether his latest World Championship run goes deeper or not, one thing is certain: when Ricky Evans steps on stage, it is never dull — and once again, it was very much different gravy.