Nathan Aspinall has revealed he was left genuinely “terrified” after being subjected to a bizarre prank by a fellow darts star, admitting the unexpected moment caught him completely off guard.
The incident took place during the World Darts Championship at Alexandra Palace, where tensions are already high as players prepare to perform on the sport’s biggest stage. Aspinall explained that his rival decided to play a practical joke shortly before their match, creating an awkward — and slightly frightening — moment backstage.
“I won’t lie, it proper scared me,” Aspinall admitted afterwards. “I wasn’t expecting it at all, and for a split second I thought, ‘What on earth is going on here?’”
While Aspinall did not go into every detail of the prank, he described it as strange enough to momentarily knock him out of his pre-match routine. Known for his intensity and focus, the Englishman said it took him a few minutes to reset mentally before stepping onto the oche.
“You’ve got all this adrenaline already, and then something like that happens,” he said. “Your heart’s racing and you’re trying to laugh it off, but it definitely made me jump.”
Despite the scare, Aspinall insisted there were no hard feelings and stressed the prank was done in good spirits.
“It was just a bit of fun,” he added. “Once I realised what was going on, I could see the funny side of it.”
Crucially, the moment had no lasting impact on his performance. Aspinall went on to deliver a composed display on stage, proving his ability to refocus under pressure — a trait that has made him one of the most respected competitors on the circuit.
The episode offered a lighter moment amid the intensity of the World Championship, while also highlighting the unique mix of mind games, humour and nerves that comes with competing at Ally Pally.
