Richie Burnett's incredible story of Pot Noodle desperation re-emerges: "The only thing I could do was drain the radiator from my room and use the hot water from that"

He was once the best darter in the world. Ritchie Burnett won the 1995 BDO world title and even made it to number one in the world. But behind the glory was a harrowing life story, one of financial despair, sporting decline and ultimately resilience, with the incredible story of the Welshman now doing the rounds again.

In a candid interview with British newspaper The Mirror, Burnett looks back on the darkest chapters of his career. At the lowest point of his existence, he literally had to get creative to get something as simple as an evening meal warm. “When times were hard and I had no money, I was in Wigan for a tournament and bought myself a Pot Noodle for my tea," he recalls. “But I didn’t have a kettle to boil water for it. The only thing I could do was drain the radiator from my room and use the hot water from that. It was all soily and brown but it worked and the Pot Noodle went down okay."

“But I’d used a pair of nail scissors to open up the valve and it wouldn’t shut again, so hot, brown water was leaking out," he continues. “All I could do was put a tray underneath it to catch it all. I didn’t get much sleep because I had to get up every hour to tip the water down the sink.”

These are stories that are hard to reconcile with Burnett's previous success. After his world title in the 1990s, he also got off to a flying start at the PDC. In 2001, he made it to the final of the prestigious World Matchplay, where he was only stopped by Phil Taylor. But after that, his career slowly slipped. Between 2005 and 2010, he barely appeared on TV. Financial worries and a form crisis dominated his life.

Still, Burnett did not give up. He recorded a ProTour victory in 2011 and reached the third round at the World Cup in 2014. But the comeback took another blow in 2015, when he was suspended for 18 months because of a positive test for cocaine. A serious mistake, but his perseverance, however, remained unparalleled.

After his suspension, he returned through the Challenge Tour and won twice there. In 2017, he even recaptured his Tour Card. And in 2023, Burnett experienced his finest TV run in years: he made it to the quarterfinals of the UK Open, defeating none other than two-time world champion Peter Wright along the way.

After that win, Burnett spoke impressively about his past. “I’m a tough old cookie. I love this game – I really do. I’ve been an idiot over the years, I’ve really underachieved. I’m just making up for lost time. I’ve earned two fortunes and spent three.”