In the high-stakes world of professional darts, where precision and focus reign supreme, an unexpected disruption brought laughter and chaos to the Players Championship 17 in Leicester, England. James Wade, the 42-year-old darts veteran nicknamed “The Machine,” found himself at the center of a viral moment when he unleashed a thunderous fart on stage during a tense match against Peter Wright. The incident, which forced a brief pause in play and prompted referee intervention, has reignited the sport’s quirky history of “fartgate” scandals, captivating fans and sparking debates about on-stage etiquette.
The match, a gripping 6-5 victory for Wade, was already a nail-biter. Wright, known as “Snakebite” for his flamboyant style, was locked in a fierce battle with Wade, ranked ninth in the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) Order of Merit. As Wade retrieved his darts from the board, a loud, unmistakable sound echoed through the Mattioli Arena, causing Wright to step back, visibly recoiling. The stench was so potent that Wright momentarily left the stage, leaving referee Owen Binks to restore order. Binks, aware of the live stream capturing every moment, issued a stern reminder: “Oh boy, okay then… This is a streamed match, guys.”
Wade, unfazed by the commotion, quipped, “It slipped out. Give it a second,” before urging Wright to return with a cheeky, “Go ahead. Do you want nine more arrows?” The crowd roared with laughter, and social media erupted, with fans dubbing Wade “The Wind Machine” and praising darts as the “greatest sport on planet earth” for its unscripted drama. Despite the interruption, Wade maintained his composure, clinching the match and advancing to the quarter-finals, though he later fell to Chris Dobey.
This wasn’t Wade’s first brush with flatulence fame. Just nine months earlier, during a Players Championship match against Callan Rydz, Wade was caught on camera bending slightly at a table, followed by a suspicious sound. He blamed the noise on “the velcro on my new trainers,” insisting, “I now consider this matter put to bed as I don’t wish to talk about it again.” Fans, however, weren’t convinced, and the latest incident has only fueled speculation about Wade’s on-stage antics. Some even suggested his gaseous outbursts might be a psychological tactic, noting that he went on to win the Players Championship 19 title days later—his first since 2022.
Wade’s recent success marks a remarkable comeback. After battling pancreatitis, which saw his ranking plummet from World No. 3 to outside the top 20, Wade has fought his way back to form. “It’s been a long time coming,” he said after his championship win. “I’m really proud of myself today, because these are not easy events to win. I went from number three in the world down to outside of the top 20, but it wasn’t because my darting ability disappeared, it was because my health disappeared.” His resilience has endeared him to fans, who see his cheeky personality as part of his charm.
Darts has a storied history of flatulence controversies. In 2018, Gary Anderson and Wesley Harms traded accusations over a “rotten egg” smell during the Grand Slam of Darts, with Anderson denying responsibility: “If the boy thinks I’ve farted, he’s 1,010 per cent wrong.” Even Phil Taylor, a 14-time world champion, faced claims from rival Alex Roy, who complained of a “horrific stench” affecting his focus. These incidents highlight the sport’s raw, pub-rooted culture, where players honed their skills in lively, beer-fueled environments—a setting Wade’s antics seem to embody.
The fartgate saga has sparked playful debates about whether such behavior warrants a penalty. Some fans argue for a “silent-but-deadly” rule, while others see it as part of darts’ unpolished appeal. One observer noted, “I don’t know of any sport that has a rule against farting, but if someone was doing it on purpose in an unsportsmanlike way, the ref could give a warning.” For now, Wade’s latest toot has cemented his place in darts lore, proving that in this sport, even a fart can become a winning moment.
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