Sky Sports Darts Star Reaches Final Stage Of Q-School As Comeback Looms

A darts star who worked for Sky Sports at the World Championship is closing in on a stunning return to the sport.

Following on from the tournament at Alexandra Palace, where Luke Littler retained his title with a stunning 7-1 win over Gian van Veen, PDC qualifying school has been in full swing as a record 925 participants in the UK and Europe bid to receive a Pro Tour card.

The first stage, of which anyone can enter pay a fee of £475 and are over the age of 16, got underway on Monday and lasted for three days.

The second stage kicks off on Thursday until Sunday and will ultimately decide who becomes a PDDC tour card holder.

• If you want to see even more from SPORTbible, make us a preferred source on Google.

Those who lost their tour card at the end of 2025 along with players who finished in the top 16 of the Challenge Tour and Development Tour, automatically qualified for the second stage.

But also in the final stage is John Part, who works as a pundit for Sky Sports on their darts coverage and was giving his view on the action over the festive period.

The Canadian is a three-time world champion but has been away from the sport for six years.

Part is a key component of Sky Sports' coverage. Image: Getty

Part lost his tour card in 2017 and after winning it back in 2018, he had it taken off him from 2019 and has not returned since.

That could all change though, with the 60-year-old among the 128 players to progress to the final stage of Q-School - taking the 47th and final Order of Merit spot in Milton Keynes, where the UK edition is taking place.

The 59-year-old scored victories over Alexander Elia, James Waite, and Darren McMahon and though he lost 5-3 to Ultan McDyer in the last 32, the 59-year-old's three legs were enough to take him to the final phase.

Part won the 1994 BDO World Darts Championship on his debut in the tournament, becoming the first non-British player to win the competition.

'Darth Maple' scored further victories in 2003 and 2008 and he was inducted into the PDC Hall of Fame in 2017.