Meet Luke Littler's next opponent, Stephen Bunting: The World Darts Championship crowd favorite has a cartoon lookalike and a miniature son… and fans can't believe he's the same age as Cristiano Ronaldo!


It's a scene that has become synonymous with the World Darts Championship in recent weeks.

David Guetta's 2011 hit 'Titanium' belted out by the Alexandra Palace audience as Stephen 'The Bullet' Bunting conducts them as if he were front and center in an orchestra.

It's a song that has become iconic and has only added to the phrase 'Let's Go Bunting Mental' coined by the 39-year-old Liverpool man who is in the best shape of his life.

Bunting has been on fire at the World Championships, and fans are going 'Bunting Mental', but his toughest test awaits him when he faces another fan favorite, Luke Littler, in the semi-finals on Thursday in what promises to be an epic night of darts.

When Bunting retires tonight he will cap the climax of a career that has seen him grow to become one of the most popular figures, if not the most popular, in the world of darts.

The new world number 5 has swept four opponents on his way to the final four, which included a convincing 5-2 victory over Peter 'Snakebite' Wright on New Year's Day.

Luke Littler faces Stephen Bunting in the World Darts Championship semi-finals tonight

Luke Littler faces Stephen Bunting in the World Darts Championship semi-finals tonight

Bunting has gained cult status for his social media videos and iconic ride in recent times.

Bunting has gained cult status for his social media videos and iconic ride in recent times.

But The Bullet faces his toughest test yet against another fan favorite, teen sensation Littler.

But The Bullet faces his toughest test yet against another fan favorite, teen sensation Littler.

Bunting is two months younger than Cristiano Ronaldo, something that has left fans baffled, and while he may not possess a similar physique to the Portuguese superstar, he certainly has a significant amount of talent in the oche.

Over the past 12 months Bunting's popularity and success has only grown and increased, with the Liverpool player lifting his first televised title with the Masters last year.

He has also put in impressive performances in several other tournaments and is a strong contender to be included in this year's Premier League lineup.

It comes after a relatively slow career and gradual improvement since joining the PDC Tour in 2014, with Bunting finally taking that elusive step into the Masters with a shock victory over Michael van Gerwen in the final.

His growth in the oche has been accompanied by a growing cult status that has seen him rack up 2.6 million likes and gain more than 235,000 followers on TikTok thanks to his fun and unique videos.

And, given Bunting's statements before the World Championships, it's clear that a strong performance at Alexandra Palace is no fluke.

“I think probably the last 18 months (have been my best darts) and I think I'm more consistent in my game.” he told Sky Sports early last month.

'The averages showed it and the double percentage and things like that. I feel relaxed inside and outside the oche.

Bunting has become a fan favorite with his fun and unique videos on TikTok.

Bunting has become a fan favorite with his fun and unique videos on TikTok.

He has gained more than 235,000 followers on the platform and received 2.6 million likes.

He has gained more than 235,000 followers on the platform and received 2.6 million likes.

“The truth is that I haven't set any goals, to be honest. Obviously I'm playing very well.

“I'm not going to put pressure on myself and say I'm going to win, but I'm playing the best darts of my life right now and I definitely know I can do it.” It's about getting there.'

Bunting's popularity among fans has been accompanied by his song and performance, which have proven to be a must-see event.

But it is his affable personality and family nature that has earned him even more love, and especially from his son.

Bunting has two children with his wife Keila. Tobias, who is 12 years old, and Theo, who was born in November.

Tobias has gained cult status as many fans have claimed that he is effectively a mini-me of his father.

He is usually present at all darts tournaments and is known for his big celebrations when Bunting is successful, while Titanium is his favorite song.

Meanwhile, support for Bullet has been further bolstered by his status as a cartoon lookalike to Family Guy character Peter Griffin.

Bunting's son (left) has become famous and many fans say he is a mini-me of the darts star.

Bunting's son (left) has become famous and many fans say he is a mini-me of the darts star.

Tobias, 12, has been regularly seen celebrating at Bunting games at the World Championships.

Tobias, 12, has been regularly seen celebrating at Bunting games at the World Championships.

In fact, this is something Bunting has played around with. While his song Titanium is one of the things he is most known for, especially because it has the lyrics 'I'm Bulletproof', he previously had a different song that he came out with.

This was the Trashmen's 'Surfin' Bird', a song long associated with Griffin, and the 39-year-old has always taken the comparisons with good humour.

All of these factors have contributed to Bunting receiving significant support from the crowd, but it is his social media activity that has endeared him even more.

He regularly accompanies posts with #letsgobuntingmental and has seen his followers grow significantly to reach hundreds of thousands.

Several of his posts are random but equally funny, with Bunting often lip-syncing to songs or using filters, while he also posed in bed with his Masters trophy last year.

Speaking in October, he explained the background behind his growing fame on TikTok.

“At first it was kind of a joke,” Bunting remembers. 'My son and I were playing on the platform. He introduced me to the platform and showed me how to do some things.

“I think in the first video it was just me and him playing, imitating some things, and it all started from there.

Bunting has regularly been told he looks like Family Guy character Peter Griffin (left).

Bunting has regularly been told he looks like Family Guy character Peter Griffin (left).

Hilariously, he also posed in bed with the Masters trophy last year after winning the tournament.

Hilariously, he also posed in bed with the Masters trophy last year after winning the tournament.

The 39-year-old is in the best form of his life after winning his first major title in February last year.

The 39-year-old is in the best form of his life after winning his first major title in February last year.

“It's nice to be able to show the fans and people who have supported me that I'm not just a darts player, but that I also have a personality.” That was the most important thing at the beginning and I think the more I did it, the more fans I generated, the more followers I received.

'What you see with me is what you get. There is no spectacle. I try to entertain people with my walk-on, but when I play I try to stay focused and try to win, but away from the game you see me telling jokes, singing in karaoke bars or on TikTok doing stupid things.'

Bunting continued: “To be honest, I'm a jovial kind of person and that's a way to give something back to the fans so they can see that side of me.”

“If they bump into me in Tesco or Asda, or at a football match, that's the kind of side they'll get from me, not the very serious side that plays darts.”

Bunting's recent launch of his YouTube channel has seen him gain over 25,000 subscribers in a fortnight and the 39-year-old's real authenticity is what sets him apart when it comes to popularity.

But tonight's match, in which the winner will be guaranteed £200,000 in prize money, will be strange for both The Bullet and Littler, who are used to unwavering support on stage.

In fact, they are good friends despite their 22-year age difference, as they live just 20 minutes apart in the northwest, and have played against each other in local leagues over the years, with a photo of the couple that has gone viral in the last 24 hours.

Littler's average is almost five points higher than Bunting's in the tournament, but the 17-year-old is still wary of the challenge the Liverpool player will pose.

Bunting's Titanium song and the way it pumps up the crowd is a must-see event

Bunting's Titanium song and the way it pumps up the crowd is a must-see event

Littler and Bunting are good friends and tonight's meeting promises to be a blockbuster.

Littler and Bunting are good friends and tonight's meeting promises to be a blockbuster.

“They (the crowd) have been good to me tonight,” he said after beating Nathan Aspinall on Wednesday. They have also been good to Stephen.

'They can choose and support whoever they want. I can see quite a few Nuke t-shirts here, so I think I'm better off!'

If Bunting completes the spectacular and reaches the final, his popularity is likely to skyrocket and would cap a notable and comforting turnaround from his struggles in previous years.

“I was ready to go,” he said after lifting the Masters in February. 'It was horrible, I was walking into the events and I felt like everyone was laughing at me.

'I felt like no matter what I was doing, everything was going wrong. I was taking it out on my family and locking myself away. I was depressed, it was a horrible place to be.

'Fortunately, the psychologist and hypnotist have helped me in recent years. It taught me to think not just about darts, there are other things besides darts, your family, your home life.

'I know they say in Peter Pan you think happy thoughts and you can fly, but it's the same kind of logic in darts. “If you come in and feel happy and good, you can win anything.”



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