Bulletproof

At the oche with darts' biggest character

Stephen Bunting grew up throwing darts in smoky Merseyside boozers, sneaked into pubs under his hood as a twelve-year-old, and learned to count by chalking scores on the side of his wardrobe.

Now he's one of the most beloved players in the fastest-growing sport on the planet. His walk-on to Titanium sees grown adults singing their hearts out in arenas from Belfast to Berlin.

This is the true, unvarnished story of 'The Bullet': BDO World Champion, PDC Masters winner, Premier League giant-killer. But behind the pyrotechnics and the sing-alongs, this is a story about grit. About a lad from Fazakerley who nearly threw it all away – the gambling debts, the wilderness years, the local league night where he couldn't hit a double and rang his manager from the car park to say he was done. About the sports psychologist who saved his career, and the hypnotherapist who emptied his bucket.

Bulletproof is about a dad who plonked his kid on a bar stool and changed his life. It’s about a baboon in a Basel zoo, chinning a chicken and using a trouser press to warm sausage rolls. And it's about what happens when you refuse to give up on the thing you love most.

Featuring Bunting’s exclusive behind-the-scenes view of the professional darts tour, this is the incredible and hilarious story of life at the oche from one of the greatest personalities in the game.

Reviews

'When Bunting steps up towards the oche at Ally Pally and does his Christ the Redeemer pose, followed by the double ear-cups to costumed Marios and Luigis bellowing their lungs out in the front row, he gets a level of fevered adoration above anything that greets Ronaldo at Al-Nassr. We know where we’d rather be.' Guardian

‘A genuine bloke. So fun, so caring, and one of the nicest darts players you’ll ever meet. The whole darting world loves him.’ Luke Humphries

‘People love Stephen because you can imagine joining him for some karaoke down your local boozer. He’s one of your own. But he’s also a great darts player. Stephen Bunting is the perfect mixture.’ Barry Hearn

'This is a player who journeys deep into the well every single time he steps on stage. No exceptions. A killer theme tune as a shield, and his darts as daggers, but still the same battle fought with the demons on his shoulder, a mountain of nerves to climb. Before anything else, he is a father, a husband, a friend, who always wants to give, more than he wants to take.' Colin Murray

About the author

Stephen Bunting is one of the most popular and engaging of all the players on the PDC Pro tour. With only Luke Littler boasting a bigger social following, there’s a reason Bunting is already an icon of the game: he's hilarious, honest and one of the world’s most exciting players. He made his debut at the BDO World Championships at the Lakeside on the BBC at the age of 18. Ten years later, he won the BDO World Championship and made the jump to the PDC. He has won 10 PDC titles, playing in the Premier League and reaching the semi-finals of World Championships at Alexandra Palace in both 2021 and 2025. He lives in St Helens with his wife and two young children.