Stephen Bunting is looking to prove the “idiots” online wrong as he prepares for the 2026 BetMGM Premier League Darts season.
Bunting has come under scrutiny over his inclusion in the Premier League after an underwhelming end to 2025 after his third-round elimination to James Hurrell in the PDC World Darts Championship in December.
The St. Helens darter has often been seen as a fan favourite but since his ‘People’s Champion’ comments and controversial Premier League inclusion, Bunting has faced an array of negative comments on social media.
Speaking to Sky Sports’ Love the Darts podcast, Bunting said: “I still see the odd comment pop through but the people are very negative, they are not fans, some of them are just idiots really who jump on the bandwagon and say you are not doing well.”
Many of the comments sparked from fans believing the likes of Nathan Aspinall, James Wade and Danny Noppert were more deserved of a place in the Premier League.
Bunting has started the new year with a last-16 straight sets 4-0 elimination to Noppert in the past weekend’s first major of the year in the PDC World Masters.
‘The Bullet’ won six titles across the World Series of Darts, European Tour and the Players’ Championships in 2025 making it his best season on the PDC since he joined in 2014.
Despite the early year successes, Bunting flattered to deceive in major events, with his best runs being to the last eight in both the World Masters and the World Matchplay.
While on the podcast, Bunting also detailed his believe to return to the number four spot in the World Rankings he held at the start of the worlds.
‘The Bullet’ said: “I know I need to work harder, I am under no illusions. I need to get myself fitter and stay at the top of the game.
“I am world No 7 now, which is not a bad position to be fair, but I want to push back up the rankings.”
Bunting prepares to face Michael Van Gerwen in Thursday’s (5th February) Premier League opening night in Newcastle.
The two have already met twice on the World Series in 2026 already, with the Dutchman coming on top both times with 6-4 wins in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia.
‘The Bullet’ finished bottom in the eight-player league in 2025 with 12 points, winning night nine in Berlin and is looking to improve and prove his doubters wrong.
Bunting said: “I always want to be part of the Premier League. I didn’t have the greatest campaign last year but I showed what a fighter I was, I ended up winning a night in Berlin.
“Some of my performances, I beat myself up probably more than I should have.”
(Featured Image (2025-04-03 Premier League Darts Berlin 2025) by Sandro Halank. Licensed Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0, under Creative Commons Licence)
