Stephen Bunting

Bunting and his wife Keila live in Merseyside and have two sons. His eldest son, Tobias, was born in 2012 and regularly watches him compete from the crowd. His second son, Theo, was born in late 2024. Beyond the oche, Bunting supports Liverpool Football Club and rugby league side St Helens R.F.C.

He previously worked in administration for a darts supplier before quitting to practice full-time. Away from high-profile events, he spends time with his family at a holiday caravan in North Wales. His social-media presence surged after he launched a TikTok account at Tobias's suggestion, sharing lighthearted videos that inspired the fan catchphrase 'Let's go Bunting mental'.

Born in Merseyside, Bunting honed his craft at the Copplehouse pub and Holy Name Social Club in Fazakerley. He rose quickly through junior ranks. In 2001, he captured both the British Teenage Open and the World Youth Masters, followed by the WDF Europe Youth Cup in 2002. He made his BDO World Championship debut at Lakeside in 2004 as an 18-year-old, defeating Vincent van der Voort in the opening round.

Bunting climbed to the top of the sport in 2012, winning both the World Masters and the Zuiderduin Masters to finish the year ranked world number one by the BDO and WDF. He defended his World Masters crown in 2013 without losing a single set across the entire tournament, becoming only the fourth player in history to retain the title. In January 2014, he claimed the BDO World Championship at the Lakeside Country Club, defeating Alan Norris 7-4 in the final.

Shortly after winning his world title, Bunting accepted a PDC Tour Card in January 2014. Success came immediately. He won a UK Open Qualifier within weeks and made deep runs in major events, including reaching the semi-finals of the 2014 World Grand Prix and the final of the Sydney Darts Masters against Phil Taylor.

At the 2015 PDC World Championship, Bunting advanced to the quarter-finals before losing 5-4 in a tight contest against Raymond van Barneveld. He made his Premier League Darts debut later that season. In 2016, he captured his second PDC title at Players Championship 2, overturning a 5-0 deficit against Adrian Lewis in the semi-finals and defeating Michael van Gerwen in the final.

Bunting reached his first PDC World Championship semi-final at the 2021 tournament, where he fell 6-4 to eventual champion Gerwyn Price. He ended a five-year title drought on the Pro Tour that July by winning Players Championship 17 against Dimitri Van den Bergh.

His crowning PDC moment arrived at the 2024 Masters. Bunting eliminated reigning world champion Luke Humphries in the third round and saw off Nathan Aspinall 11-1 to reach the final, where he defeated Michael van Gerwen 11-7 to claim his first televised PDC major. Later that season, he posted a 117.12 average at the European Darts Open and reached six Players Championship finals.

In 2025, Bunting returned to the World Championship semi-finals before falling to Luke Littler. He captured his first World Series title at the Bahrain Darts Masters, defeating Price in the final, and added European Tour victories at the International Darts Open and the Swiss Darts Trophy. By 2025, his tour performances pushed him to a career-high ranking of world number four.