"I thought at the time: how am I going to deal with this? She was my best friend" - Ricky Evans blossoms again after losing his sister Elisha earlier this year

After a tough year, 'Rapid' Ricky Evans seems to be back in full force. With three new TV appearances in a row coming up, fresh energy and a big smile, he looked back on his unexpectedly strong period in Northampton. "I'm just having fun playing again, and that makes all the difference," he said.

For the Online Darts camera, Ricky Evans beamed from ear to ear. "It's been an incredible week," he began. "Honestly, I don't know where it came from. Maybe I just like a little pressure."

The Englishman was struggling ahead of the decisive months of the season. His spot in the world rankings seemed secure, but for the qualifications of major TV tournaments he was on the cusp. "There was some tension," he admits. "I was sinking further and further. But I told myself: whatever happens, I'm just going to have fun."

He succeeded. With several convincing performances, he secured participation in three TV events: the Grand Slam of Darts, the Players Championship Finals and, of course, the PDC World Darts Championship at Alexandra Palace. "I wasn't qualified for any tournament last week, and now I'm competing in all of them. That feels great."

The turnaround, according to Evans, came when he released the pressure. "I had just played a demonstration tournament in Germany with Jonny Clayton and Gabriel Clemens. I was throwing everyone off the board," he laughed. "I appalled Matt (Ward, his manager) that I was just going into the weekend as a lark. And he said, 'Why don't you always do that?' Maybe he's right."

His relaxed attitude yielded immediate results. "I was playing with freedom. Once my name was dark green - or in other words, I was sure to participate - I felt liberated. I even said to myself: today I will win this tournament. Well, that didn't happen, but that feeling was there again."

Evans has not only regained his form at the board, but in the meantime, in addition to darts, he is also happy in his love life. "I'm probably going to get comments about it, but yes, I have a girlfriend. I'm happy. And that's no accident - I play well because I'm happy," he says with a broad smile.

The contrast with the beginning of the year could hardly be greater. Evans lost a loved one and was going through a difficult period. "I really thought at the time: how am I going to deal with this? Everyone loses someone eventually, but for me it was new. She was my best friend."

His recent resurgence therefore feels extra special. "It's a nice reward, also for my family. I am taking my mother to Ally Pally this year - it will be my 11th World Championship, and she has never been there before. I'm maybe even more proud of that than making it to the tournament itself. I just want to be able to say: mum has been there."

Evans is known for his show elements, and his Christmas outfits in particular are legendary. "I want to go completely wild with my Christmas outfit this year," he says with a wide grin. "Reindeer, snowballs, ziplining onto the stage ... they probably won't let me do it, but I'd like to!"

Still, he stresses that at the end of the day, only one thing matters. "In the end, at the end of the day it's also about the darts. Hopefully I win my first match, because they always classify me right before Christmas. I swear, they do it on purpose because I'm the 'Santa Claus'."

The conversation takes on a more serious tone when it comes to winning. Evans is honest about his frustrations. "I'm a jealous person," he says, laughing. "I smash the remote when I see others win that I think: I'm better. But they hit their doubles, I don't. It's as simple as that."

That jealousy, however, acts as fuel for the 35-year-old. "When I see guys on TV that I've won from before, I think: that's where I belong. I can beat Joe Cullen or Josh Rock - I've already done that. I just need to be more consistent."

His biggest wish? "No more just showing up at the Players Championship tournaments and at the World Darts Championship. I want to compete all year, not just peak in November and December. Hopefully next year around June I'll say: I'm already sure of the World Championship."

Despite his reputation as "lazy" when it comes to training, Evans continues to play a lot. "I call myself lazy, but I'm active every week," he says. "Monday league, Tuesday league, Super League, county - I keep throwing. I love county darts. That's where I come from, the pub nights with friends. That's where Ricky Evans was born - the idiot or the legend, whatever you want to call it."

When he looks back on his career, there is pride but also self-criticism. "I've never lost my Tour Card and never missed a Pro Tour or qualifier - thirteen years in a row. That's something to be proud of. But I've always been a middle player. I've never really been in danger, but haven't been in the top-32 either. I want to change that.

"I say every year that I want to win something, and I mean it. I even get emotional when I think about it. I love this game. Every day on the Tour I think: today it can happen. And if it doesn't succeed, I'm back in the hotel, watching the livestreams. But the love for darts, it's still there. I'm not stopping for now." He then concludes the interview with a typical wink: "I'm 45th in the world rankings, but believe me: there are no 44 players better than me."