Top 5 fan favourite players at the PDC World Darts Championship - 180UK.com
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Top 5 fan favourite players at the PDC World Darts Championship

18 December 2025
Tom Sansom

By Daniel Wright

The fans make the PDC World Championships what they are, with the party atmosphere at the Alexandra Palace. But who are the players that are getting the crowd most excited in the 2026 edition of the tournament so far?

1. Luke “The Nuke” Littler

This maybe an obvious one to start on but the reigning world champion is such a huge draw for fans and opposing players, a year on from the biggest moment of his career to date. The teenage sensation has gone from strength-to-strength since winning his first world crown- with the UK Open, World Matchplay, World Grand Prix, Grand Slam and Players Championship Finals titles all following. His first entrance as world number one at the worlds got the fans off their feet and many renditions of his name in the tune of “Winter Wonderland” could be heard throughout his routine victory.

2. Stephen “The Bullet” Bunting

Another obvious one now as the man who called himself the “people’s champion” last week got his campaign underway. A semi-finalist last year, Stephen Bunting once again entered to one of the most recognisable songs in the world of darts- “Titanium”.

The former Masters champion found himself in trouble against the young Polish player Sebastian Bialecki, despite a flying start, and was pegged back from 2 sets up. However, raucous support from the onlookers at the tables and in the seated areas helped him to pull through in a thrilling last set decider, and he thanked them after the relief of ending the match.

3. “Champagne” Charlie Manby

Making your debut at the World Championships up on the Ally Pally stage is a daunting prospect for anyone, especially a young star who has not been in and around the tour for very long. On this occasion however, Charlie Manby showed nerves of steel to take out the seeded Scot Cameron Menzies in another thrilling first-round tie.

The 20-year-old from Huddersfield has been touted for great things and only fuelled those theories as he twice came from behind to take victory in a deciding set, including a brilliant 120 checkout to break his opponent’s throw. The crowd serenaded him with chants of “Charlie, Charlie” from very early on as he quickly became a new fan favourite.

4. Wesley Plaisier

This one could come as a bit of a surprise but still with a few days of first-round matchups to play, Wesley Plaisier has stood out as one of the most-supported players during his game against Lukas Weing. The big Dutchman said after his victory over the German that he had decided to try and get the crowd on his side for the tournament, and so his walk-on for the competition is “Angels” by Robbie Williams.

A commonly sung tune amongst the crowd during intervals, it proved to be an instant hit with many fans who may not have known much about Plaisier. They were behind him throughout as he dispatched the world number 64 by three sets to one.

5. “The Waterboy” Joe Comito

The final name on this list of darting fan favourites at the Ally Pally this year and it is certainly the one to have provided the biggest shock of the five- the Australian, Joe Comito. “The Waterboy” made his World Championship debut last year but this year he recorded a seismic win over the much-fancied German Niko Springer.

Springer won on the EuroTour earlier this year in a run where he beat some huge names, including Luke Humphries, however Comito stunned him much to the crowd’s delight. After taking the first set, it looked like the German was coming back into the contest, but the Aussie held firm and despite some nervy match darts the fans roared him home to an unforgettable win.

AS IT HAPPENS: 2025/26 PDC WORLD DARTS CHAMPIONSHIPS

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