"I was actually quite positive in terms of what would happen" - Mark Webster offers insight into battle with leukaemia and return to punditry

2026 has been a tricky year for Mark Webster to navigate. He has not been on the TV screens around the world covering the darts, including the Premier League Darts, due to being told he had rare form of leukaemia. Now back in work, the former world champion spoke to Online Darts as he gave an update while offering an insight into the prior few months.

It was a relief for Webster to be back in front of the cameras doing his punditry work once more after that hiatus. "Yeah, it was just nice to have some normality back. In the build-up, people had been really nice to me and it made me feel positive about coming back. I'd been off for a bit too long, so it was nice just to slide back in last week. It was a good week as well."

He was 'itching' to get back as his patience wore thin for a return to these big events. "Do you know what? It's been strange more than anything," he said. "I haven't been really poorly. I've been tired, and obviously my immune system hasn't been great. There was a bit of isolation involved, really.

"But I think I held up pretty well. There was a lot of frustration and an itchiness to get back. I was quite content for the first six or seven weeks, but then I was ready to come back and I wasn't getting the answer I wanted. It was just a case of being patient. I was still doing bits and pieces in terms of podcasts and work for Paddy Power and things like that, so I ticked over. But it's never the same as being involved on a weekly basis."

Webster was not feeling well and went to the doctors to find out what it was about. When he found out he had a type of leukaemia, he described it as 'strange.' "I feel like the way I delivered the message to some of my friends wasn't great. I sent a few text messages and probably should have rung some people. I just didn't really know how to take it," he admitted.

"When I walked out of there, I was actually quite positive in terms of what would happen. Obviously, the immediate negative was the diagnosis and knowing I was going to be off work. But I was very determined because I liked what I heard. The prognosis was good. It was just a case of having to take a step back.

"They stressed that I needed to look after myself and listen to my body, and I've done that. I've still got a bit to go, but my blood counts are getting to where they should be. Somewhere down the line I'll have another bone marrow biopsy, which is what found the problem in the first place, and then we'll have another look. Hopefully there'll be no problem and that's when you start talking about remission. I'm not sure when that'll be, but we'll just keep ticking along."

It was not the usual chemotherapy that many dread. While there was a fear of being really unwell, Webster acknowledged that overall it was fine. "Do you know what? I know people who have had chemotherapy and different treatments, so I was prepared for being really sick, but I wasn't.

"Mine was a different course of treatment. It was just a couple of injections every day. There was a little bit of nausea, but I never at any point thought I was actually going to be sick. The treatment week was two injections a day for five days. Then, in the following weeks, I was tired and weak because it strips away all the bad blood cells but also the good ones.

"It's then a case of building yourself back up. That's why I've been off for so long. Normally they build back up in around 21 to 28 days, as I understand it, but mine didn't do it that quickly. My bone marrow took a while to respond, but it is responding now, which is why I'm back. We just have to keep monitoring things."

There was a sense of positivity with the Welshmen when he first stepped forward with it. Fortunately he caught it early, but there was still that thought in the back of the head if the scenario occurred where he did not spot it. "Yeah, obviously there is," he stated. "The condition can come back. I've had people get in touch with me on social media saying they've been clear for six years. Others have said it came back. I haven't replied to everyone, but I really appreciate people getting in touch.

"It does sometimes come back, and if it does then we'll have to treat it again. But that could be five years away, ten years away—or it might never happen. If it does come back, I'll deal with it then. It's not something I'm going to lose sleep over or worry about. At the minute, I feel fine. There's obviously a little bit of worry when something like this happens. You can overthink things and open cans of worms in your mind. But right now, I'm very relaxed about the situation and I'm staying positive."

When the news came out, the public reception was very supportive. From friends, family and work colleagues to darts fans across the world. Webster was very surprised with this overwhelming reaction. "I was very grateful for all the people who got in touch and kept in touch. Friends, people at Sky—yourself included. We were chatting pretty much every week. It was really nice.

"I wasn't originally planning on saying what was wrong with me because, in my naivety, I thought I'd be back quite quickly. I thought there was no need to say anything. I thought I'd be off for a few weeks and then quietly work my way back in. But once Modus released a statement, I thought I'd explain what was wrong. Then, lo and behold, two weeks later I got clearance to come back. I know it was only early January, but I feel fine now. I still have regular appointments, lots of blood tests and I've had plenty of needles, but otherwise everything seems to be going okay."

He also received some nice gifts as well. One in particular from a certain Wayne Mardle was addressed to 'The 2008 world champion.' "When I opened it, the woman in the house said, 'What's that?' and I said, 'Gee, I don't know what that's off.' It was just full of goodies. Fair play to him—I loved it. My kids loved it as well. There were all sorts of sweets in there. People sent me things and it was nice to be thought about. I missed everyone because this place is a big part of your weekly interaction. We're here to work, obviously, but there's also an element of fun. I missed that routine and that camaraderie."

While away Webster was watching the darts, but not all of them. "Not every week, no," he said. "I've kept across everything, though. Some weeks I recorded it. When the weather got a bit better, I tried to get out and watch some football. But I've kept an eye on it because you've got to stay in touch with it.

"I've enjoyed it. I think there have been loads of stories throughout the season. It's a shame it all got wrapped up before the playoffs, but I still think it'll be a good Finals Night. I think all the players have played their part as well. I know that's a bit of a cliché, but they really have. And maybe with a slight tweak to the format—which seems to be the consensus at the moment—we'll see where it goes next year."

There has been a whole load of discourse surrounding the format of the Premier League. A possible change could be down the pipeline. "The PDC will look at it. They never sit still, and they've got time to assess it now," Webster said.

"I think the quality is there to have more players involved. It's not ideal that everything was settled before the final week. That said, it's the only time it's happened. We can criticise the format all we want, but normally there's plenty of drama. Last year we had a shootout for fourth and fifth place. The year before there was drama involving Nathan Aspinall. It generally does go right to the wire. It just hasn't happened this year, and the result last week was the one that wrapped everything up."

It was another very disappointing Premier League Darts campaign for Michael van Gerwen. The seven-time champion bowed out in the league phase for the second year on the spin, something that has never happened before. His nightly win and final in the opening two weeks feels like a long way in the past as the struggles continue.

"He may never fully rediscover the Michael van Gerwen of old," Webster admitted. "I think he's quite relaxed about that. Don't get me wrong, he's still hungry. He still hates losing. But I think he's honest enough with himself to know he's not the best player in the world anymore. He just has to adapt.

The inconsistency on the oche was really troubling. "There's still that hunger there. When he beat Dirk van Duijvenbode on the ProTour the other week, I liked what I saw. But these inconsistent performances have been creeping in for years now. It's not something new. I don't think we're going to see a super-consistent Michael again, but I still like the attitude. I still like the fight and the focus when he's here.

With an imminent ranking drop, van Gerwen could see himself plummet from the world's elite down to the top 20 mark at the end of the year. "His ranking is under threat and that will be the priority now. There have been some good spells in the Premier League, and missing one week didn't help. But he'll go again. He's still got that confidence—some would call it cockiness—and I still think there's a desire to compete. Is he going to dominate the sport again? Probably not. But I think there's still a lot more to come from Michael van Gerwen. When he's on form, he's still a delight to watch. I do the odd exhibition with him and when you're standing behind him, even when he's messing around, he's still got that nonchalance to hit whatever he wants. So yeah, I'm looking forward to seeing what happens with him this year."

Despite all of this, Webster was a firm believer that he would still get in the Premier League Darts next year. "Unless his form completely falls off a cliff, he's got plenty of credit in the bank. I think he'd still get in. Simple as that. He's earned the right to have a ropey couple of years. I still want him in. I still enjoy watching him play. He keeps you on your toes because he can be a bit erratic at times. But he's still got that bit of magic, hasn't he? So yes, for me, he'd definitely be in next year."