"There will be times where everyone’s saying, ‘Get on PDC TV she’s in another final": Emma Paton predicts Beau Greaves will thrive on full PDC debut season

Emma Paton has seen darts evolve first-hand. From presenting behind closed doors during the pandemic to standing centre stage in front of packed arenas, the Sky Sports Darts host believes the sport is in its strongest position yet, and she’s relishing every moment of the journey.

Speaking to Weekly Dartscast ahead of the 2026 Premier League Darts season, Paton reflected on how much has changed since her last appearance on the show in 2021 — an appearance that, she joked, remains undefeated.

“It’s the one time I’ve been on the show I did win Guest of the Year,” she laughed. “No pressure coming back on again.”

Looking back over the past four or five years, Paton feels the transformation of darts has been impossible to miss. “A lot’s happened in darts since then, hasn’t it?” she said. “It feels like the whole view of darts has changed completely — who’s running the show now, who’s dominating, and probably names that back then we’d barely even heard of. Certainly with Luke Littler.”

For Paton, the growth of the sport has been exhilarating to watch. “It just feels like darts is getting bigger and bigger. The sport is going from strength to strength and I just feel lucky to be a tiny part of it — enjoying it from a fan’s point of view as well.”

With the Premier League season getting underway in Newcastle, Paton is preparing for 17 consecutive midweeks on the road, something she admits she genuinely loves. “I’ll be honest, I love travelling around for months and being on the road, seeing different places and going to these huge, incredible arenas.”

She believes this year’s Premier League is shaping up to be one of the most intriguing yet, with multiple storylines already in play. “We’re not expecting Luke Littler to win every single week,” she said. “We’ve got new players making their Premier League debuts, players returning like Jonny Clayton, the two Lukes, Gerwyn Price… there are so many storylines around all eight players.”

Last year’s campaign proved just how unpredictable the format can be. “Littler was dominant throughout the league, but then Luke Humphries won on finals night. You just don’t know where it’s going to take you.”

One of the highlights of this year’s schedule is a brand-new Premier League venue — Antwerp’s AFAS Dome — which could host crowds of more than 23,000. “That’s what people are saying,” Paton revealed. “Whenever someone says that, you know it’s going to be packed out.”

Having experienced the unique atmospheres across Europe, she’s excited to see what Belgium brings. “Rotterdam is a sea of orange, Berlin has grown year on year, and Antwerp feels like it could be really special. It’s a shame there isn’t a Belgian player in the Premier League, but it’s exciting to go somewhere new.”

Paton is also eager to see how Beau Greaves adapts to life on the PDC tour after securing her tour card. “Everyone is super excited,” she said. “If you love darts, you’re just intrigued to see what she can do.”

Greaves’ narrow defeat at the World Championship still stands out. “She did herself justice. It really came down to that one moment, that huge checkout from Daryl Gurney. Beau won more legs, had better stats — it was just one of those games.”

Paton believes Greaves will be a constant talking point throughout the year. “There will be times where everyone’s saying, ‘Get on PDC TV — she’s in another final.’”

Paton also reflected on her own journey at Sky Sports, from arriving at work before 3am to write scripts for the breakfast show, to now presenting in front of thousands. “I don’t know how I used to do those early starts,” she laughed. “If I have to get up at seven now, I’m like, ‘Where’s the flat white?’”

Those early roles, she says, helped shape her approach. “I’ve seen things from a producer’s point of view, from the gallery, from editing interviews. At the time you wonder if you’ll ever get where you want to be, but it all helps.”

Standing in packed arenas, she still takes moments to reflect. “You do think, ‘Wow, how lucky am I to be here talking about darts?’ And I’ve got an incredible team around me, that makes such a difference.”

Away from Sky Sports, Paton has also enjoyed working on light-hearted darts content, including Paddy Power’s prank videos — particularly those involving Nathan Aspinall and Luke Humphries. “The Nathan Aspinall one — I was crying,” she admitted. “He was genuinely rattled. You could see the cogs whirring in his head thinking, ‘What have I done?’”

She insists those days don’t feel like work. “Webby and I were in tears the whole time. It was brilliant.”

Asked whether she could see herself hosting events in front of 30,000 fans within the next decade, Paton didn’t hesitate. “Absolutely. Antwerp’s already at 23,000 — it’s not far off.”

She pointed to viewing figures since Littler’s emergence as proof darts isn’t slowing down. “We thought interest might drop after a while, but it hasn’t. People want more darts, week after week.”

Finally, Paton addressed a question she’s asked regularly — does she play darts herself? “I’ve got a dartboard,” she said, giving a nod to Winmau who she works as an ambassador for. “I try to play, but I don’t practise enough. When I do have spare time, I’m usually on the sofa watching football.”

As for her standard? “Let’s just say the average is low at the moment. There’s work to do.”