World Championship

In a fascinating recent conversation with talkSPORT, Hearn practically vibrated with the thrill of a sport that refuses to slow down, refuses to apologise for its ridiculous ascent...

North London air. Weeks of drama, shock and spectacle have led to this single moment, poised to erupt beneath the chandeliers where destiny will be settled and history etched in tungsten and nerve...

Alexandra Palace transformed into a cathedral of controlled chaos, hosting a breathless, high-octane symphony of tungsten violence in which the reigning champion strode forward with imperial calm....

Littler faced the microphones visibly flustered and fired a verbal broadside straight at the Alexandra Palace crowd...

From that moment on, Ally Pally became a December pilgrimage. Thousands upon thousands have since made the climb, dressed as everything from traffic cones to Teletubbies, turning elite sport into a uniquely British carnival.

The evening began precisely as prophecy foretold. The Nuke versus the birthday boy. Youth versus experience. Velocity versus vigilance

Each is also longingly staring at the one-million-pound prize on offer - the biggest single payday in the history of darts, waiting for one member of this octet...

Eight men. Eight stories. Eight cheques already inked for a guaranteed £100,000 before a dart is even thrown in the quarter-finals...

Alexandra Palace now falls silent as the darting world pauses to usher in 2026. On New Year’s Day, the lights blaze back on and the quarter-finals await