"I started smoking when I was 10": Russ Bray reveals origins of distinct and iconic voice

Russ Bray retired from the sport in 2024 but still works heavily now on the development of the game in other regions including in Asia where he works on the PDC Asian Tour, many of the top names of which will be involved at the Bahrain Darts Masters.

Part of the Russ Bray allure though is his distinctive Voice and his 180 call which has seen him on adverts and travel all around the world outside of his on the oche work. He called 28 World Championship finals and worked on the sport for three decades at the top level.

It started though when he was 10 as he said that smoking from an early age might have seen his voice develop in the way he did and that compared to now it was less frowned upon. Speaking to talkSPORT, the 68-year-old said that unintentionally it's what moulded his career into what it is today he believes.

"It would have done, I guess, because I started smoking when I was 10," he said. "Don’t smoke, kids. Please don’t do it. It was a different world back then.”

But while it is more frowned upon now especially at that age, Bray said that it was the common thing with his parents both smoking and even characters in the TV shows he watched so while in his words he got a good hiding, it was something that was the norm.

“Imagine in those days — I think Thunderbirds came out in 1967. You know, the puppet thing? Nearly every scene had Jeff Tracy with a cigarette in his hand, or Lady Penelope with a cigarette, because that’s just how it was. You had cigarette adverts and all sorts. My mum and dad smoked as well. Don’t get me wrong, I got a good hiding when I got caught the first time. I started smoking when I was 10.”

He said this went even lower as he reached puberty and that he has never changed his voice or tune which perhaps is part of the charm of his tone.

"When I got to 13 and you start having changes in your body, with things that drop in us and don’t in women, my voice went low.

“Over the years of smoking and calling, I guess it has changed. Not that I’ve been aware of it or deliberately changed it.”