In a night that should have been celebrated for its darting brilliance, the World Masters final was once again overshadowed by a storm of controversy, as newly crowned champion Stephen Bunting levelled fresh accusations of cheating against teenage sensation Luke Littler.
Bunting, 38, secured his first World Masters title in a heart-stopping 6-5 victory over world champion Luke Humphries, showcasing nerve and precision to lift the coveted trophy. However, in his post-match interview, ‘The Bullet’ redirected the spotlight onto 17-year-old Littler, reigniting a bitter feud that has simmered for months.
“It’s an unbelievable feeling to beat Luke [Humphries], the best in the world, in a final like that,” Bunting began, before turning his focus to Littler, who was eliminated in the quarter-finals. “But while we’re all up here playing fair, everyone saw what happened in my match with Littler earlier this year. The same things keep happening. He’s a phenomenal talent, nobody denies that, but the sport has to be clean. The authorities need to look at it. Properly.”
The accusation refers to Bunting’s prior public claims, made after a ProTour match in February, where he suggested Littler was receiving illegal hand signals or coaching from his support camp during matches—a practice strictly forbidden under PDC rules. Littler has vehemently and repeatedly denied the allegations, labelling them “sour grapes.”
The reaction was immediate and divisive. A chorus of boos erupted from a section of the capacity crowd at the Centre Stage in Newbury, while others applauded Bunting’s outspokenness.
PDC officials, who previously investigated the initial claims and found no evidence of wrongdoing, released a terse statement: “The PDC maintains the highest standards of integrity. All previous allegations were investigated thoroughly and no breach of rules was substantiated. We congratulate Stephen Bunting on his victory.”
Littler’s management team responded with fury. “This is a deliberate and calculated attempt to tarnish Luke’s reputation on the biggest stage,” said a spokesperson. “It’s deeply disappointing that Stephen has chosen to sour his own moment of triumph with baseless repeats of old rumours. Luke’s extraordinary success is down to his hard work and genius on the oche, nothing else.”
The darts community is now starkly polarised. Former world champion Raymond van Barneveld posted on social media: “Let the darts do the talking. Always. Congrats Stephen, amazing win. But leave the kid alone.” Others, however, have backed Bunting’s right to voice his concerns, citing the need to protect the sport’s integrity.
For Luke Humphries, the narrow defeat was a secondary storyline. “It was a fantastic final, Stephen was clinical when it mattered,” Humphries said diplomatically. “As for the other stuff, it’s not for me to comment. My job is to play darts.”
The controversy threatens to cast a long shadow over the rest of the darts season. With Littler established as the sport’s brightest young star and Bunting now a major champion doubling down on his allegations, the stage is set for an increasingly acrimonious rivalry.
One thing is clear: as Stephen Bunting lifts the World Masters trophy, the conversation is not about his comeback checkouts or his nerve under pressure, but about an accusation that refuses to die—ensuring darts once again makes headlines for drama beyond the oche.