A recent cult hero at Ally Pally, 2026 PDC World Championship quarter-finalist Justin Hood has been forced to seek a brand-new nickname after apparently running into copyright issues.
The Somerset slinger gained enormous affection not just for his fantastic performances in North London late last year, but also for his infectious personality, which firmly established Hood as a massive fan favourite.
However, a few months into this season’s campaign, it appears the bite-sized star has had to ditch his popular “Happy Feet” moniker in favour of a new one. No one seems to know exactly why, or if they do, it hasn’t become widely known.
That’s aside from the question of why it has suddenly become an issue after millions tuned in to watch Hood’s remarkable run at the Palace.
How the Glastonbury man originally gained his nickname is rooted in amusing circumstances. After forgetting his own shoes for a county match – perhaps second only to turning up to a darts match without a set of darts on the baffling scale – Justin was forced to borrow a pair.
Not being the tallest player to have ever graced the oche, the size 12/13 footwear he was lent made it look as though he was wearing canoes on his feet. And there lies the origin of the name.
Speaking to TalkSport recently, Hood explained: “We’ve got stuff going on with my nickname that’s got to be changed. So, we’re going through all of that now. Happy Feet has got to go unfortunately, so we are sorting a new one out now. We haven’t settled on anything yet.”
Despite being an incredibly talented arrow-smith, it was his performances on what was his debut World Championship that propelled Justin directly into the spotlight. After producing some breath-taking displays and claiming notable scalps, his run finally came to an end at the quarter-final stage at the hands of two-time champion Gary Anderson – a highly credible opponent to bow out against.
Great darts aside, Hood’s public declaration that he wanted to use his winnings to open his own Chinese restaurant only heightened his popularity with fans. Then, lifting his shirt to reveal his bare belly and comically sticking his tongue out drew further amusement – though not from the PDC chiefs, who it’s fair to say were less than impressed with those antics.
“They told me off after the game against Nick [Kenny]. He said if you do it again, you are in trouble. Then I did it against Danny [Noppert]. He said if you do it again, it will be the biggest fine you have seen. I’m not going to say what I said back to him because it’s a kids’ show. I said if I get to the final though, I will do something very bad. Then you can take it out of that prize money.”
So, for now, Justin Hood not only has to learn to keep his shirt down and his tongue in on the PDC’s biggest stages, but he must also come up with a brand-new nickname. It’s difficult to fathom which of those challenges will prove the trickier.
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Images: PDC
