"I didn't actually know how bad I was": Cameron Menzies loses nearly five stone in weight after wake-up call on flight sees stark reality
PDC
Cameron Menzies was one of the leading players to steal the show on Sunday afternoon at the Grand Slam of Darts, with the Scot managing to see off Raymond Smith 5-4.
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Menzies now heads into a straight shootout with Stephen Bunting, and he wasn't best pleased with his display, but in reality he admits it's all relative and lauded his opponent, who has shown before on the big stage that he has the minerals to beat the big names.
He also touched upon his dramatic weight loss, with Menzies looking a lot more slender now, becoming the latest player to take up walking and jogging, and said that it was all driven by previous warning signs.
"I think I stole it. I started really badly. I wanted to win the belt, and the first leg I could have had – honestly, I could have got an Uber closer to the treble. I just don't know. "The first leg was stinking," said Menzies post-match.
"But Raymond's a very steady player. He's proved that, not just because of the Premier League in Australia and stuff. I'm sure two or three years ago he got to the quarter-finals of the World Championship, so whatever it is, he was one game away from a Tour Card. That big man can play.
"When I saw the draw, I was like, "Mate, okay." But this is the situation we're in now. There are guys who don't have tour cards who can play. I started slowly; I think I rode a bit of luck there, so I'll take the win. It's all to play for on Monday, I think. I just wanted to get the win, man.
Cameron Menzies has shocked with stark weight loss.
"It was a bit cold up there; the fans were great. Didn't get Scotland battered. What the hell? What's wrong with them? It's not after the game when I joined in. The fans were great. Just buzzing to win a game. It's a group stage; three players, you need to get points on the board and then go all in on the last game.
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He joked that he will have to give Bunting a few jabs ahead of their tie and said that while he prefers the old format, he can't complain about what the PDC does.
"I like the four, but I get it. The PDC don't really do anything wrong, do they? That's why they're doing what they do.
"Aye, so Bunting and I play tomorrow, I believe. Straight shootout. I've got to go and see him, and I'll give him a few jabs before I play him."
"I overthink everything,' admits Menzies
Menzies continued that he is a chronic overthinker, and so even down to finding stuff to do before he goes to the venue, he very much is all in his own head all the time.
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"It's not the game so much. I didn't feel great up there, but I thought it's the mentality side of it. Usually I'd be struggling, and he's taking darts out. He had double four one of the times, and I'm sitting waiting, trying to break his throw on that last dart. Usually that would hurt.
"It hurts, but I can maybe reset. Before, I'd be sulking about it. I still have those moments, but they're less now. In darts, it's a very hard game, and sometimes you play great and lose, and sometimes you play poorly and win.
Menzies recalled bacon butty story in Leicester...less bacon butties more running now.
"Usually, when somebody's hit his doubles with his last darts, it's like a little punch in the kidneys. Sometimes there's a little sucker punch because you're just waiting, like, "Just give me a chance, give me a chance. "But now, I still have those moments, but maybe because of what I'm doing through, I accept it more.
"Usually, when that happened, the next leg I'd be like, "Oh, I got a double," and I'm sitting waiting for a double and all that stuff. But now I'm like, "Right, go again."
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"That's one of my weak points: overthinking things. I'm the worst overthinker in the world. The missus will second that. I overthink too much. Today, for instance, I'm like, "Oh, I can't go to the venue. Why don't you go and charge the car?" "It's just stupid stuff. I overthink everything."
Four and a half stone weight loss for Menzies
Menzies has lost 4.5 stone in the past few months, and he said that it started as far back as nearly three years ago when a warning sign told him to watch his health.
"It was before Switzerland, two years ago. I flew back from Budapest; I think it was a European tour, and I was on the flight. I got this thing in my chest, and I panicked because it wasn't sore, but I felt something.
"Then I found out I've got ectopic heartbeats, which is quite common. It's not a big deal, but when you're bigger in size, it's not the greatest.
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"I've just tried to look after myself a bit more. Walking, we've got all these darts events and stuff. I would sit in the room a lot of the time, but now I'll go on walks. Sometimes we'll go to the gym. I don't do weights; I just like to go jogging and stuff. It's good for my physical health, but it's good for the old head as well."
But while for players like Dave Chisnall, it has perhaps affected their throw, Menzies has not been in the same camp, as he said it gives him a rush to go to the gym, not the opposite effect when it then affects the weight of his dart or his throw.
"No, it's helped me because it's not... I don't practise. I should practise more, but I feel like I practise longer now, kind of thing. The only issue I get is my leg because I put the weight on my leg, but outside of that, I do feel better for it.
"It's just more mental than physical, because I've never left the gym or whatever, feeling bad and stuff. I've left the gym, like, okay. I like to go early in the morning and then seize the day, kind of thing, after that."
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Inspired by Humphries and other darting names
But Menzies also knows that it is the weight of the world now and that players like Humphries give an example for him to then follow and learn from, and with kids coming up who are looking after themselves, he wants to join the trend and not be left behind.
"The worst I was, my heaviest weight, I'll do it in stone, so I don't know how bad I was, but the heaviest I was was 21 and a half. I didn't know how bad I was, and when I see pictures now, I am like, "Wow."
"I'm under 17 now. I'd like to go a bit further, but I'll never be 13 or 14 stone. I'm quite broad-shouldered and stuff, so I think the perfect weight for me is 15. That's the aim.
"Unfortunately, Santa comes with Yorkshire Puddings, chocolates and stuff like that, so I'd just like to maintain it until next year and go again. But it's not just me. There are a lot of guys on the players' side, the referees as well. I've seen Charlie go jogging. We're all doing it now because darts is changing. We all go on walks and jogs and stuff, and it's good for the sport.
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"If you look at Humphries and stuff, we're changing our physical appearance because it's not just about physical health; it's about mental health as well. Darts is changing. The young kids are coming up now and are gunning for ourselves, and we have to look after ourselves these days.
Menzies has happy memories of the event from the BDO debut
Menzies, though, has happy memories of this event, albeit when Berry van Peer was in tears against him years ago, but he was a BDO player back when he made his debut and is now a PDC name, so the venue and different format but the same love for it.
"I feel like what gave me the bug was the first time I played in this, when Barry van Peer beat me.
"This was the first big event I ever played in. I don't think it was here. I think it was the Civic Centre before then, but playing Gary (Anderson), Whitlock and Berry, just from nowhere in the BDO to playing this... This is a tournament that's always close to my heart that way because it's great. It's a free-for-all for everybody, especially with the three in the group, but every game, every last game, matters now.
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"The PDC know what they're doing, let's be honest. They've made an absolutely massive business out of this. I don't think they've got much wrong, apart from picking me in the Premier League in Glasgow, obviously.
"No, the PDC know what they're doing, and they're doing things right. I still prefer the old way, but I get it because it's cutthroat, and it's good for the audience and stuff. Unfortunately, those out there pay for us, so I get it."
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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