Michael van Gerwen has revealed a characteristically mischievous plan to derail table-topping rival Jonny Clayton — by cooking him a curry so devastatingly hot he would never make it to the oche.
The three-time world champion was speaking in a playful PDC sponsor video, seated in a restaurant setting, where he was challenged to hit doubles between sharp and humorous answers from interviewer Becky James.
When asked who he would most like to cook for, Van Gerwen’s answer was immediate: “Jonny Clayton.” Asked what he would prepare, he delivered a typically deadpan response: “Let me make the Indian. It will be so spicy, so he never gets off the toilet.”
The gag lands on two levels. Clayton has been managing a well-documented gout condition throughout the 2026 Premier League — the Welshman takes daily medication to control the condition, but flare-ups are unpredictable and he never knows how it will be from one day to the next. Rich, spicy food is a well-known trigger for gout. Van Gerwen, clearly clued up on his rival’s medical situation, was effectively suggesting he would set Clayton’s gout off before their quarter-final.
Van Gerwen kept the light-hearted tone going throughout the video. He said he would happily attend a darts tournament in a pineapple costume — “I quite like the sound of that,” he said, laughing — and was asked about his music taste, offering a dry response before eventually naming Dutch DJ Martin Garrix among his favourites.
The backdrop to the joke is a genuine rivalry that has emerged as one of the defining storylines of the 2026 Premier League. Last Thursday at Night 10 in Brighton, Van Gerwen raced into a commanding 5-2 lead in the final against Clayton and had the match fully under control — only to miss four match darts and see the Welshman claw back and snatch the victory.
It was the latest chapter in a series of near-misses for Van Gerwen against the man currently sitting three points clear at the top of the table. Clayton has said of their dynamic: “You’re never going to stop Michael van Gerwen from saying something. They call me ‘Grandad’ — but I’m a young grandad! I take it as banter and I enjoy it. I can give back as good as I get.”
Now Van Gerwen is heading into Rotterdam Ahoy on Night 11 this Thursday for a quarter-final rematch, this time on his own home turf in front of a Dutch crowd. His preparation, it seems, involves industrial quantities of curry powder.
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