The world No 4’s entrance to the song Titanium has become an iconic moment in darts, but while he loves the attention what he really wants is the world title
“T
here’s a lot of people playing darts who haven’t got no character,” Stephen Bunting says in a matter-of-fact tone, his voice still a little croaky from the cold that has been laying waste to him for the last week. “They’re boring to watch. And that’s probably why they’ll never be in the Premier League. You need to have a personality as well as being at the top of your game. You need to balance both.”
And frankly, has anyone in the sport made a better fist of it than Bunting himself? A few years ago, the man they call The Bullet was little more than a capable journeyman on the fringes of the elite, as well-known for his resemblance to Peter Griffin from Family Guy as for his darts. Now he is the world No 4 and a multiple tournament winner, with a loyal and passionate following that – in its most spine-tingling moments – seems to transcend sport itself.
The interesting part is the way these two narratives have unfolded in harmony with each other. The rise of Bunting the dart player, and the rise of Bunting the snackable social media phenomenon who can bring a stadium to its feet, are really a single development with a single root: the story of how an ordinary lad from St Helens learned to embrace his authentic self. Learned to be happy again.
