Stephen Bunting Owns Up to Mistake and Says ‘He’ll Never Do It Again’

Stephen Bunting has admitted that his behaviour during the World Darts Championship was a mistake, promising that he won't do it again.

After a brief break following the 2026 PDC World Darts Championship, several of the biggest names in the sport are back in action at the Bahrain Masters this week.

Eight of the biggest names in the PDC Tour are competing in the tournament alongside eight Asian representatives, with the winner taking home £30,000.

Bunting is the defending champion, having defeated Gerwyn Price 8-4 in the 2025 final, but faces a difficult quarter-final meeting with Michael van Gerwen in the 2026 tournament on Friday evening.

Ahead of the match, the Liverpudlian reflected on what has been a couple of months, making a promise to his fans regarding the future of his career.

Bunting will hope to defend his title at the Bahrain Masters. (Image: Getty)

After narrowly avoiding a first round exit at the World Darts Championship in December with a 3-2 win over Poland's Sebastian Bialecki, Bunting caused controversy post-match by referring to himself as the 'people's champion'.

He said: "I'm Stephen Bunting. I'm the People's Champion. They're all going to go Bunting mental, no matter what happens."

The comments were met with fierce backlash, with many fans believing that Bunting's growth in popularity has gone to his head and contributed to him controversially securing his spot in the 2026 Premier League lineup.

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But Bunting has now admitted that he was wrong to behave in such a way, assuring fans that it'll not happen again in an interview with Oche180.

When asked how different his approach to darts will be this year, Bunting replied: "That People's Champion stuff was maybe a mistake. That was a statement made regarding what Sky had built me up to me.

"It was a tongue and cheek comment, a bit of a laugh, but I'll never mention that ever again. It's all about what I do on the oche now."

Bunting has admitted that his comments at the World Championship was a mistake. (Image: Getty)

Just days Bunting's comments at the World Championship he was knocked out by world number 63 James Hurrell in their third round clash on Saturday.

The 40-year-old, who is currently ranked 7th in the PDC Order of Merit is facing perhaps the most pivotal season of his career, with 2026 likely deciding whether he will remain a regular part of the Premier League and a fan-favourite or drop further down the world rankings.