Who is Sky Sports Darts commentator Wayne Mardle?
WAYNE MARDLE is a darts legend who now works as a pundit and commentator for Sky Sports.
He is seen as the voice of the sport on the channel and is known for his Hawaiian shirts and energetic dance moves - SunSport has the lowdown on the iconic sportsman.
Who is Wayne Mardle?
Wayne Elliot Mardle was born on May 10, 1973 in Dagenham, east London.
He is often referred to as Hawaii 501 — a play on the TV series Hawaii Five-O — because he began wearing Hawaiian shirts after losing a bet.
His dad taught him to play darts from the age of 11 and he took to it like a fish to water, hitting his first 180 within a fortnight.
Wayne won his first competition at the Double Top pub on his 13th birthday.
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He has gone one to have a long career in the sport he loves, first as a professional player, then as a commentator and pundit.
Mardle also works as a professional speaker at events and exhibitions, and has set up the Wayne Mardle School of Darts for anyone wishing to improve their game.
On the eve of the World Darts Championship 2024/25, the PDC sadly announced that Wayne's wife, Donna, 52, died in the week leading up to the World Darts Championship starting.
A statement read: "All our thoughts and condolences are with Wayne Mardle and his family, after the passing of his wife Donna earlier this week."
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How long has Wayne Mardle been commentating on the darts?
Wayne started commentating at the 2011 PDC World Darts Championship alongside Sid Waddell and Dave Clark — as well as predicting results in the tournament with Eric Bristow and Rod Harrington.
He has gone on to become a regular commentator and pundit for Sky Sports.
Mardle famously produced an iconic piece of commentary during the 2023 PDC World final, when Michael Smith triumphed over Michael van Gerwen.
He could be heard screaming "I can't speak" after van Gerwen narrowly missed a nine-darter and Smith hit one with his next visit.
What did Wayne Mardle do before becoming a darts commentator?
Before lending his expertise of the game to viewers of the sport as a pundit and commentator, Wayne was a professional player who reached the world championship semi-finals five times — four in the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) and one in the British Darts Organisation (BDO).
He also lost in three major finals to Phil Taylor — the 2003 World Matchplay, and the Las Vegas Classic in both 2004 and 2005.
Speaking about why he stopped playing, Wayne told the in 2021: “I can honestly say I was fraught with the pressure, with the tension.
“My head was swimming, my arm was tight, my hand was cold, my feet were freezing.
“I don’t want to be that pressurised ever again. And you know what? I absolutely hated it.”