"Might be the biggest idiot to ever play darts" – Dom Taylor slammed by Van der Voort after positive drugs test at PDC World Darts Championship

The doping suspension of Dom Taylor has shaken up the 2026 PDC World Darts Championship and sparked fierce reactions across the darts world. Former pro Vincent van der Voort did not spare the Englishman after his second positive test within a year. On the Darts Draait Door podcast, Van der Voort launched a scathing attack on Taylor, who was immediately expelled from the tournament.

Taylor was caught using a prohibited substance last Sunday after his convincing 3-0 win over Sweden’s Oskar Lukasiak. The victory was annulled and the 27-year-old Englishman was immediately removed from the Worlds. It was not Taylor’s first misstep either: last year he was already caught at a Players Championship event, which also cost him his World Championship spot at the time.

Van der Voort cannot fathom how Taylor slipped up again. "That might be the biggest idiot to ever play darts,” the former player said bluntly. "If you were caught doping last year and you're not allowed to play in the World Championship... And then it happens again the year after,"

Van der Voort’s astonishment turns into frustration. “"What a blunder. Jesus, I'm speechless," he continued. According to 'Fast Vinnie,' Taylor will not get away with this. "I think he's going to get a serious kicking from the PDC this time."

The consequences for Taylor are not just reputational. He is also taking a major financial hit. "He can kiss his £25,000 prize money goodbye anyway," presenter Damian Vlottes noted. Van der Voort confirmed that this is a hard blow. "Yes, a lot of money he's just throwing that away."

The doping suspension also affects the tournament bracket. Taylor was due to face Jonny Clayton in the second round, but that match will not take place. The Welshman benefits from the situation and advances to the third round without playing. This also affects fans who bought tickets expecting to see Taylor back on stage.

Although Van der Voort rates Taylor as a capable player, the case casts a shadow over his performances. Even the win over Lukasiak raises questions. "We don't know that, of course," Van der Voort said when asked whether the banned substance influenced his game.

So far, it has not been disclosed which substance Taylor tested positive for. It is precisely this lack of clarity that irks Van der Voort. He believes the PDC should take charge and be transparent. "And just show them: we don't accept this," he says. "Otherwise, everyone will start guessing again."

That speculation is now in full swing. Foreign media are actively guessing about the nature of the banned substance. German newspaper BILD suggested it might be cocaine, but there has been no official confirmation.

Van der Voort sees how quickly such stories spiral. "All sorts of things are mentioned. A story like that starts with a bad aspirin, and by the end of it, he was lying with 26 needles in his body, he was using blood doping, and he'd been on altitude training camp," the Dutchman states. "Everyone can make something up, and that doesn't get us anywhere."