Stephen Bunting has issued a lengthy and emotional statement following his third-round defeat to James Hurrell in the 2025/26 PDC World Darts Championship.
Bunting, a two-time PDC World Darts Championship semi-finalist, fell to a 4-3 defeat against fellow Englishman Hurrell, who ended an entertaining affair with a 100 checkout at Alexandra Palace on Saturday (December 27).
The victor finished with a 98 average to Bunting's 91 and won 18 legs to his opponent's 12.
Liverpool-born Bunting became the highest-ranked player to exit the tournament, having started the competition as the fourth seed due to his PDC world ranking.
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Earlier in the tournament, following his second-round win against Nitin Kumar, Bunting cut an emotional figure when speaking in a press conference and opened up about the backlash he had received on social media.
The Bullet had been the subject of widespread abuse after calling himself the ‘People’s Champion’ after beating Poland's Sebastian Bialecki 3-2 in the first round, with some suggesting this was a sign of arrogance.
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After his win, Bunting said: "I'm Stephen Bunting. I'm the People's Champion. They're all going to go Bunting mental, no matter what happens.
"I believe I've got the best fan base in darts. I've got the best social media in darts. The only thing I'm lacking is the World Championship, and it's coming this year."
Then, on Monday (December 29), three days on from his shock exit, Bunting posted a lengthy statement on his X account detailing the “negative comments” both he and his family had directed towards them by “trolls” online.
After thanking his family and fans for their support through the tournament, the 40-year-old wrote: “I love my family so much, and they give me massive motivation to continue this journey. I still believe I have a lot to give darts over the rest of my career, and I want to make them forever proud.
“They see the negative comments and do their best to make sure I don’t see them, and even Toby [Stephen’s 13-year-old son] has had some hate from some of the trolls online, which really is hurtful for us as a family. Toby is one of the nicest kids you could wish to meet, and I’ll be doing a lot more social stuff with him this coming year.”
Bunting also wished his fans a happy New Year before signing off with “I love you all”.
The Bullet will return to action to defend his title at the Bahrain Darts Masters, which commences on January 15.
Topics: Darts
Luke Davies