Because Stephen Bunting thought that people were laughing at him, he considered ending his career – today he is a celebrated darts star and a millionaire

When Stephen Bunting reached the semifinals of the Darts World Championship shortly after the turn of the year and became known to a wider audience, a discussion arose. How could it be that he is three months younger than footballer Cristiano Ronaldo ?

You wouldn't think so at first glance, and not at second glance either; Bunting, 40, exudes a certain grandfatherly comfort. And he doesn't seem consumed by ambition like the Portuguese attacker; anyone who sees and experiences him can conclude that he has more to his life than ascetic self-optimization. Bunting says the comparisons didn't bother him: "People were having fun, it was harmless, and it didn't bother me."

Bunting wasn't always so complacent. After losing three consecutive first-round matches at the World Championship, thoughts of retirement began to swirl within him. He says: "I didn't want to be in those places anymore. I felt like people were laughing at me at the tournaments."

Almost two and a half years ago, he sought help from a sports psychologist and has since relied on the magic of hypnosis. "It's as if my brain has been reprogrammed. It's toughened me up mentally, which is crucial for darts. I think much more positively and feel like I can benefit from every experience," says Bunting. He then adds: "I do these sessions regularly, about once a week. And I can definitely feel the difference. I sleep better and have significantly more energy. When I'm at home, I even clean. My wife was very surprised because I never normally do that."

In England, he's described as "bubbly," a cheerful person. He flaunts his newfound ease on every conceivable channel – no darts professional is more active on social media than he is. This resonates, certainly because there are people who recognize themselves in him: the outsider you might meet in the nearest pub. In many videos, Bunting presents himself with his 12-year-old son Tobias, who bears a strong resemblance to his father, also plays darts, and has long since become a celebrity himself.

Bunting is one of those men whose fame and popularity have exploded in recent years with the sport of darts. Bunting lives near Liverpool. He says that teenagers follow him and ask him for selfies when he goes shopping. He, the average guy. He seems a bit surprised by this, because things were different for a long time. Bunting began his career in the now-defunct British Darts Organisation (BDO), where there was little prize money and little prestige. For years, he and his family barely scraped by; in some months, the money was barely enough to cover the rent.

Today, he's a millionaire thanks to prize money and sponsorship deals. He received £100,000 just for reaching the semifinals of the World Championship. He said afterward that he'd treated himself to a few things for his garden and a camper van. Yet Bunting admits that another aspect was more significant for him after switching to the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) in 2014: the size of the events. "At the BDO, it was dead silent. You had to make sure your phone was on silent in your hotel room, because otherwise, people would probably hear it. And at the PDC, you play in these huge arenas with thousands of spectators, so that was quite an adjustment."

Darts is booming so much that there are serious capacity issues at the World Championship. At the prestigious tournament in London's "Ally Pally," Bunting also experienced his wake-up call, realizing that darts has entered the mainstream, the mainstream of society: In 2019, Britain's Fallon Sherrock became the first woman to win World Championship matches, and she was showered with congratulations. Among those offering well-wishers was Billie Jean King , the former serial tennis champion. Bunting says: "I thought, 'Billie Jean King is watching darts? Wow!' And since then, everything has just gotten bigger and bigger. I think the trend is unstoppable."

It's not a bold prediction. The PDC tour has become a global phenomenon – Bunting has already thrown darts in Bahrain and New York this year. He is conducting the interview with the NZZ via video call from Budapest. When the PDC media representative initially thanks him for taking the time for the interview, he says: "Of course, after all, people don't call me the People's Champion for nothing." And he delights in this joke.

Starting Thursday, Bunting will play in the Swiss Darts Trophy for the second time, which attracted more than 20,000 spectators at its inaugural event in 2024. At some point, Bunting's entrance song "Titanium" by David Guetta will ring out in the St. Jakobs Hall, the crowd will roar rapturously, and Bunting will enjoy the throng. He says: "It's important to me that people have a good time. I realize that my life would be very different without the fans."

The fact that he's now a public figure in his home country has its downsides. Bunting says he constantly receives hate mail, usually from angry men who lost a bet on one of his games. "People write really nasty things. That I should die. That my family deserves to die. Luckily, I have management that filters out a lot of it, but I do wonder what the point is. I've even lost 10 pounds by betting on Liverpool. It still wouldn't have occurred to me to write to Mo Salah and say I hate him," says Bunting, the Liverpool fan.

Based on his experiences in recent years, he is cautious about collaborating with sports betting companies. However, that's easier said than done: Virtually all relevant darts tournaments have a betting provider as their title sponsor. The Swiss Darts Trophy is an exception – and for good reason: Since the 2019 revision of the Gambling Act, foreign gambling operators have been prohibited from operating in Switzerland.

By no means do they all comply, but at least they aren't allowed to actively advertise. For Bunting, it's a rare opportunity to do his job without a bookmaker's logo adorning his chest. There are worse omens for a sixth tournament win of the season.