"Without them I wouldn’t be where I am now" - Darts fans have special place in Stephen Bunting's heart as targets for 2026 outlined
PDC
It has been a tricky campaign for Stephen Bunting, who has
not continued to play at the heights he expected. Another underwhelming Premier
League campaign was produced with countless early exits in other major, European Tour and Players Championship events leaves a sour taste. However, he
will always have his loyal fanbase supporting him every step of the way.
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Bunting for a while had been an established name on the PDC
Tour, but he truly exploded when he won the Winmau Masters, blasting himself up
the ladder. All while this was going on, he amassed a number of fans, making
him one of the most popular players on the PDC Tour.
Whenever he walks onto the stage, ‘Titanium’ is blasted
around the arena with ‘The Bullet’ conducting the crowd. They sing along in a
very special sight that all can get behind.
Speaking to the Daily
Star Sport after signing a 10-year contract with Target, Bunting shared his
deep gratitude for the fans and the adoring love he feels when stepping onto
the stage.
“It’s an honour to be honest. To feel the connection I have
made with my fans really helps me when I’m on the big stages. Getting behind me
if things aren’t going well is a massive tool I can use to regroup,” he said.
Stephen Bunting is one of the most popular players on the PDC Tour
“They are a massive part of my journey and my career and
it’s amazing to hear them singing the walk on back to me when I’m on the stage.
And even the messages I get from the fans win or lose.”
When Bunting is on the oche, it is business like usual as he
tries to win the darts contest and put in the best performance he can. He has
to keep his emotions in check and focus on the task at hand, which is no mean
feat.
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“I like to think I handle it really well. Sometimes when
they sing the song back to me it really is a pinch-me moment and it gets
emotional for me,” he said. “But without them I wouldn’t be where I am now and
playing to a good standard and wanting to improve constantly.”
Deep run at Ally Pally on the forefront of Bunting's mind
Bunting will be the first to admit that his form on the big stage has not been good enough in 2026. After a third round exit at the PDC World Darts Championship at the end of last year, he has reached the quarter-final in front of the TV cameras just once.
That came recently at the European Championship in a rejuvenated performance. Bunting almost did not qualify for Dortmund after a tumultuous European Tour campaign but left it late with a semi-final run at the Dutch Darts Championship to confirm his place.
It is a solid foundation to build off from. However, at this moment in time, he is not in the Grand Slam of Darts. It could be the first time he misses the major event in Wolverhampton since 2022. He will be at the Players Championship Finals at the end of November, sitting 29th in the Players Championship Order of Merit.
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Read also
Then comes the big one. Bunting is defending big at Ally Pally after reaching the semi-final two years ago. £100,000 is up for grabs as the 41-year-old outlines his goals for the rest of the year.
“Wanting to have a big run in all the major tournaments as well as having a strong finish to the pro tour season," he confirmed. “Big steps are moving to the new Target 21g darts. I believe these will take me to more consistency and bigger titles. And keeping on top of the hypnotherapy also.”
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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- Play all legs and the winners split the pot. Luke gets the lot of he wins them all. If your occupation is darts player you can't enter, regardless of ability.BandB01-11-2026
- I'm quite a jaded person all things considered, but to be honest I found Beat Luke Littler to be pretty entertaining. It certainly wasn't seamless, which is to be expected given the lack of precedence, but I actually think the pacing was pretty good, the production was impressive, and there was a good sense of humour and levity to it. I think it was a very ambitious undertaking but one that, for the most part, paid off. I liked the system with the four pots and I think it added to the drama and intrigue. I enjoyed seeing the diverse range of entrants and learning about their backstories. I think the interactivity was pretty clever and well-integrated. The panel was a little incoherent at times; Lee Mack shone however, and his improvisational skills were appreciated during some more awkward interstitial moments. As far as the darts is concerned, it was a shame that the format didn't allow Littler to get into full flow. You obviously don't want him to steamroll everyone but you want to feel like you're getting the full Littler package rather than seeing him struggling to get out of first gear. I will say that his leg against Jayden Walker was very impressive, but it was mostly downhill from there. The attraction revolves around Littler being this untouchable, indomitable force, yet the format doesn't really allow him to fulfil that characterisation. As for Fallon Sherrock, she was mightily impressive and deserved the victory. It is a testament to her unshakeable character that she was able to bang in a 14-darter under such mind-bending pressure. Everything that has been said about the misleading marketing is valid, though they were clear about their eligibility criteria and were able to offload the responsibility somewhat by bringing the viewers into the decision-making process in real time. What is clear though, is that Fallon played the game according to the rules, and she should not be criticised for that, much less abused. I will admit though that it is a kick in the teeth for those true amateurs who committed time and money to the course, and I would also question those who think pub players would have no chance, given that some of Littler's winning legs were dispatched in 7 visits to the board! The great thing about darts is that it isn't so much that amateurs cannot replicate the feats of brilliance pulled off by professionals of the sport, than it is that they simply cannot replicate the consistency of their output, something that this format almost entirely removes from the equation. It should also be noted that, financially, Fallon certainly stands to benefit much less in relative terms from the paycheque than would your average pub thrower, as I'm sure she nets a fair income from the lucrative exhibition circuit alone. What I do hope is that she might use this as an opportunity to really build up a head of steam heading into the new season, as it seems long overdue that she come through Q-School and really take it to the pros on a week-in week-out basis, but whatever she chooses to do, she has certainly achieved enough already for one if not several lifetimes, so who am I to dictate terms? To conclude though, I will state once again that I found Beat Luke Littler to be a pretty enjoyable evening of entertainment. I do feel for the contestants who never actually had the chance to try their luck against the world #1, although I suppose it comes with the format, but all which inevitably raises the question: will Netflix be tempted to do it all again next year? It's hard to say. Whether it would be financially viable, I can't weigh in there. One point I have been making though, and which I touched on earlier, is that the entire concept relies on a public perception that Littler is more or less unbeatable, and that certainly hasn't been the case of late. If the execs had been trying to pitch the show in recent months while Littler has seemed vulnerable, rather than when he was mopping up almost every major title on the calendar, it would certainly be a tougher sell. We will have to see in about 6 months' time whether Littler can still reliably command perception as a near-unstoppable force in darts, and then we'll have a clearer idea about whether we should expect a second helping. Even as a one-off experiment though, and with all the controversy taken into account, I still don't think they disgraced themselves by any means, and that will probably be my lingering assessment of the event when all is said and done.Deduce635801-11-2026
- Fair play to Fallon. But...shows the mockery when a professional players wins what was meant to be an amateur v Pro event, Littlers performance was poor, and what about the players who didn't get a game? Would have been better if the pot was split amoungst all the winners and they all got a leg.BandB31-10-2026
- Not even slightly interestedrick6730-10-2026
- And yet the PDC has decided to aggravate this problem by doubling the Players Championship Finals field from 2027. I can't imagine there will be fewer withdrawals next year with even less reason to turn up. I can only hope that a whole slew of Challenge Tour top-up players receive enough prize money in the absence of much of the elite, that some of the more complacent among them struggle to scrape into even a heavily diluted field! More semi-pro players will get to test their mettle, but the standard of competition will be much inferior. It could hardly be said that the Players Championship series will provide an opportunity for darts' second string to test their Tour Card credentials anymore, but at least it will underscore the achievements of those Challenge Tour players of current and previous years, who were able to prove themselves as more than capable of competing with, and beating, the elite of the sport on a consistent basis, and reaping the due rewards.Deduce635828-10-2026
- No point in being there? Champions want to win.Deduce635828-10-2026
- Littler lost to crabtree in the youth/junior/whatever you call it. He had no point in being there. He's unfortunately now got to the stage,he feels all he has to do is get on the stage to win. Well,I hope he realises part of his fear factor has gone. Happened to Taylor,then van gerwen,and it's causing him to realise pretty sharp,he isn't unstoppable. It's good for the sport,not 1 single player in my 60 years has ever,or will ever be, unbeatable.rick6725-10-2026
- I think it's great to see Mark Webster looking good,good ladrick6725-10-2026
- I agree,I can't believe the lack of coverage of this sad loss. Always enjoyed watching him,but I guess now it's all about littler,well it seems that way. Darts has sadly lost a good manrick6717-10-2026
- In the absence of a report regarding the death of Stefan Lord, I'll assist. An excellent player in the late 70s and early 80s, he actually won the now defunct 3rd place match at two World Championships and a couple of the News of the World Championships. A fabulous player and easily the best Swedish player ever. Rest peacefully Stefan.richieburnettrocks16-10-2026