"I don't know if the walk-on song has affected him a little bit at the start" - Luke Humphries sees possible reason for Stephen Bunting's Premier League Darts nightmare

After a much-anticipated return to the Premier League Darts lineup in 2025, Stephen Bunting remains winless after the first seven weeks having lost each and every game he's played. Conversely, Luke Humphries has enjoyed a strong start to the season, but the world number one has now weighed in on the struggles of his good friend.

Bunting has enjoyed a big rise in crowd support over the last couple of years. The 'Let's Go Bunting Mental' movement has shown off his loveable character, and thanks to his walk-on song - Titanium by David Guetta and Sia - the former Lakeside champion can blow the roof off of any arena when he walks onto the stage. According to Humphries though, these epic, karaoke walk-ons might actually be to Bunting's detriment when it comes time to throwing the darts.

"I don't know if the walk-on song has affected him a little bit at the start. Nathan Aspinall had this problem, he told me that the buzz is so high for the first couple of legs it's hard to come down from," Humphries muses thoughtfully in conversation with TalkSport.

Read also

"I’m making myself so nervous" - Stephen Bunting speaks out on nightmare Premier League Darts return

Humphries recently changed his own walk-on song to something a little more crowd-friendly - I Predict a Riot by the Kaizer Chiefs. Although has a little play with the crowd during his walk-on though, the former world champ mostly remains laser-focused. "Mine is not as big as Stephen's and Nathan's obviously, when you got that massive buzz, for the first two legs, you're kind of waiting to come down a little bit and he (Bunting) hasn't had a great record of winning the first couple of legs."

"So, I said to him 'When you do your walk-on, do it, and then give yourself 15 or 20 seconds at the table before you go and throw your practice darts. Allow yourself to come down from that adrenaline a little bit'," Humphries continues, revealing he has tried to give Bunting some helpful advice.

Stephen Bunting singing along with the crowd during his walk-on

As mentioned, Bunting lost for the seventh Premier League Darts match of running in 2025 last Thursday. Afterwards, the Bullet took to social media to address his fans. "Absolutely gutted. So sorry to all who support me. Practiced so well tonight and unfortunately it just didn’t happen on the stage. I’ll keep giving it my all guys and keep believing," he wrote. "I’m making myself so nervous because I care and want to perform to my best instead of just relaxing and letting it happen. See you all next week. I’ll work hard and make sure I’ll improve."

Read also

Standings Premier League Darts 2025: Luke Littler strengthens lead after Cardiff clincher as Michael van Gerwen rises

Subscribe to our Newsletter

Unlock your ultimate darts experience—subscribe today for exclusive access to top stories.

Subscribe