"She’ll probably kill me if she reads this, but no, she’s not that good" - Nathan Aspinall suggests Emma Paton should 'stick to commentating' after Hyde Park performance
PDCSunday, 02 August 2026 at 17:00
Emma Paton flexed her darting skills at Hyde Park a few weeks ago after her and world number two Luke Humphries clinched the title in the exhibition tournament. Nathan Aspinall, who was also participating, playfully admitted that Paton is 'not that good' and that she should stick to presenting instead of chucking the arrows.
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Regularly in front of the cameras presenting the biggest darts tournaments on Sky Sports, Paton put the microphone down briefly as she competed in the Hyde Park Championships, reaching the final of the PDC’s Pro-Am event in London
Alongside Humphries, they stormed to glory, sparking jubilant celebrations at the end. The 31-year-old showed her skills as well, pinning tops to win a leg expertly against 'The Asp' before Humphries took out 57 for glory.
Paton's darting ability not approved by Aspinall
Despite this, Aspinall is not totally convinced about Paton's darting ability. “I don’t mind if Emma beats me," he told told 247Bet. “She’s one of the few people that I don’t mind losing a leg to. She’ll probably kill me if she reads this, but no, she’s not that good."
Any chance of competing on the Women's Series for Paton was instantly ruled out by the two-time major winner. “She’d be no match for some of the ladies who are pros in the game, so she needs to stick to commentating because she’s the best at that."
Nathan Aspinall is a former World Matchplay champion
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However, away from the dartboard Aspinall had a lot of positive things to say. “But honestly, I’ve got a lot of time for Emma, we get on dead well, and she’s amazing at what she does."
Paton had a lot of support at Hyde Park, leaving Aspinall admiring her while a bit confused. “She had a bit of good fortune at Hyde Park and hit tops to take a leg off us. Fair play to her. It was an amazing moment for her. The fans loved it. I don’t know why they got behind Emma so much. I don’t know what it was, but the Hyde Park crowd absolutely loved her and it was so much fun to share the stage with her.”
Since 2022, Paton has been one of the main faces of darts. While her ability with a dart needs some work, her television presenting has made her a staple on Sky Sports as well as a number of different brands and companies involving the sport.
Lucas MichaelDarts Journalist
Lucas Michael is a darts journalist and reporter based in Cambridge, UK, and has been part of the DartsNews team since 2025. He covers professional darts through reports, analysis, round-ups, and live coverage, with a focus on clear context and accurate reporting across the PDC calendar.
A key part of his work is liveblogging major tournaments throughout the year, providing real-time updates, match coverage, and contextual reporting across the professional circuit. He also reports regularly from events on site and has covered the PDC World Darts Championship from the venue, delivering first-hand insight throughout the tournament.
Within the newsroom, Lucas works closely with the editorial team and supports coverage alongside Chief Content Officer Samuel Gill and reporter Kieran Wood.
Lucas holds a BA (Hons) in Sports Journalism. In his work, he places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating content promptly when new, verified information becomes available.
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