By Daniel Wright on 180UK Debut
Nearly 14 years ago, the hit song “Titanium” was released by French DJ David Guetta- since then it has become one of the most recognisable walk-ons in world darts. This is thanks to one man- “The Bullet”, Stephen Bunting.
The 39-year-old from St Helens has been on the scene since debuting at the British Darts Organisation (BDO) World Championships as a teenager in 2004, and he went on to win a host of titles throughout his time with the company. This culminated in entering the BDO World Championship in 2014 as the number one seed and triumphing at the historic Lakeside venue, defeating Alan Norris seven sets to four in the final.
Fast forward just over a decade and the “The Bullet” has recently peaked at his highest ever world ranking since joining the PDC after winning at Lakeside. 2024 was the most successful year of his career to date and propelled him to world number five after his run to the semi-finals of the 2025 World Championships. The year began with Bunting winning his first ever major title on the tour, beating three former champions of the world- Luke Humphries, Peter Wright and Michael van Gerwen- on his way to winning the Masters.
This was not only his first major on the tour, but also his first title of any kind since a Players Championship event in 2021. Throughout the year he proved to be in the best form of his career, and reaching six finals at floor events made him second seed (behind only Chris Dobey) at the Players Championship Finals. He then went on to match his best ever run at the Worlds by reaching the semi-finals, defeating former two-time champion Peter Wright 5-2 before losing out to eventual champion Luke Littler.
The prize money he received from this sent him to world number five on the Order of Merit and he has since been selected for the Premier League for the first time since 2015, as well as winning his first World Series title at the Bahrain Darts Masters.
Bunting had built up a large fanbase even in the years when he was not right at the sharp end of the rankings through his vast social media following, and of course his now iconic walk-on. His catchphrase “Let’s Go Bunting Mental” has become a go-to chant for the crowd during his matches and he is one of the most well-known players on the planet. He has often said how he believes his song change to “Titanium” after the 2011 BDO World Championship provided him with a springboard for becoming a household name in the sport. As with the likes of Nathan Aspinall, the crowds wherever he goes sing every word back to him.
Stephen also uses some of the lightest darts in the sport, currently a weight of 18 grams although he has used as light as 12g in the past. This is in addition to having an unorthodox throwing stance in which he stands to the extreme right of the oche, as opposed to the more usual central base. He has big support from his family, and his wife and eldest son are often spotted at competitions around the world- travelling with him to most despite the distances.