Darts veteran Richie Burnett once revealed the lows he hit after falling on hard times.
The Welshman made a name for himself on the BDO Tour in the 1990s, winning the World Championship in 1995 and rising to number one in the tour’s rankings.
GettyRichie Burnett competed on the PDC Tour between 1999 and 2023[/caption]
Burnett then enjoyed success on the PDC Tour, reaching the final of the World Matchplay in 2001, where he was beaten by Phil Taylor.
But despite early success in his career, things later took a turn for the worse for the former star, who later found himself struggling to make ends meet.
So much so in fact, that he was living off benefits at one point, and unable to afford a kettle for boiled water.
In an interview with the Mirror, Burnett revealed this left him having to resort to extreme lengths in order to heat up his Pot Noodle dinner.
He recalled: “When times were hard and I had no money, I was in Wigan for a tournament and bought myself a Pot Noodle for my tea.
“But I didn’t have a kettle to boil water for it. The only thing I could do was drain the radiator from my room and use the hot water from that.
“It was all soily and brown but it worked and the Pot Noodle went down OK.”
Burnett went on: “But I’d used a pair of nail scissors to open up the valve and it wouldn’t shut again, so hot, brown water was leaking out.
“All I could do was put a tray underneath it to catch it all. I didn’t get much sleep because I had to get up every hour to tip the water down the sink.”
Burnett’s financial hardship coincided with a loss of form in the latter years of the 2000s, with his only televised appearance between 2005 and 2010 coming at the UK Open and his first round loss at the 2007 PDC World Darts Championship.
GettyThe Welsh darts player starred on the BDO Tour between 1994 and 1999[/caption]
Despite this, the ‘Prince of Wales’ bounced back at the turn of the decade, winning a PDC Pro Tour title in 2011, and posting improved World Championship performances, reaching the third round in 2014.
But more disappointment was in store for Burnett in 2015 when he was banned from darts for 18-months after testing positive for cocaine.
He returned to competition in late 2016, winning two Challenge Tour tournaments in his comeback year.
After earning back his PDC Tour card the following year, Burnett then enjoyed his best run in recent times when he reached the quarter-finals of the 2023 UK Open.
The 58-year-old put in a number of impressive displays in his run to the final eight, knocking out two-time world champion Peter Wright.
Speaking after that win, an emotional Burnett bravely opened up on the mismanagement of his finances.
GettyBurnett beat Raymond van Barneveld to win the 1995 BDO World Darts Championship[/caption]
“I’m a tough old cookie. I love this game – I really do,” he said.
“I’ve been an idiot over the years, I’ve really underachieved. I’m just making up for lost time. I’ve earned two fortunes and spent three.”
He then narrowly missed out on the semi-finals with defeat to Dimitri van den Bergh.
Burnett made his debut on the World Seniors Darts championship in 2024, where he reached the second round before losing to Colin McGarry.
He enjoyed an improved run in this year’s edition in February, progressing to the quarter-final stage before suffering defeat to fellow former BDO world champion Steve Beaton.
