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Is Phil Taylor playing at the World Seniors Darts Championship 2025?

THE World Seniors Darts Championship is set to kick-off TODAY at the iconic Circus Tavern in Essex.

The championship features veteran darts players, over the age of 50, battling it out for a huge £50,000 prize.

LONDON, ENGLAND - JANUARY 1: Phil Taylor celebrates winning the tenth set as Michael van Gerwen of the Netherlands looks on during the final of the 2013 Ladbrokes.com World Darts Championship at the Alexandra Palace on January 1, 2013 in London, England. (Photo by Ben Hoskins/Getty Images)
Phil Taylor (right) is the most decorated darts players of all time
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Mandatory Credit: Photo by Chris Sargeant/ProSports/REX/Shutterstock (14760299au) John Henderson during the World Senior Darts Tour 2024 at York Barbican, York WSDT 2024, World Senior Darts Tour - 05 Oct 2024
John Henderson is the current World Seniors Darts champion
Chris Sargeant/ProSports/REX/Shutterstock

Veteran Phil Taylor, also known as “The Power”, is one of the most successful darts players of all time.

The Power won the World Championship a record 16 times, the most of any player in history, and made the final 21 times.

The darting scene has seen a huge uptick in interest since the debut of teenage sensation Luke Littler – but Taylor is one of the pioneers of the sport.

In fact, the 64-year-old was one of the founders of the PDC in 1993.

During his peak, Taylor appeared in the World Darts Championship final EVERY YEAR between 1994 and 2007, losing just three times.

He was beaten by Dennis Preiestley, John Part and Raymond van Barneveld.

His final win in the tournament came in 2013 against Michael van Gerwen, while his last final appearance was against Rob Cross in 2018 in a 7-2 loss to the current world number four.

Phil Taylor's glittering career

Phil Taylor quit his day job in the ceramic industry to become a full-time darts player in 1987 and went on to establish himself as a legend of the sport.

He dominated darts for over two decades, winning 214 professional tournaments – including 85 major titles and a record 16 World Championships.

The Power won his first World Championship in 1990, three years after becoming a professional player, and clinched his second two years later.

He then won eight consecutive world titles from 1995 to 2002.

Among his incredible list of accolades are 16 World Matchplay titles, 11 World Grand Prix titles, five UK Open titles, four European Championship titles and six Grand Slam titles.

Taylor also won six Premier League titles, four Championship League titles, five Desert Classic titles. two US Open titles, a UK Masters title and a World Masters title.

His incredible achievements saw him nominated for the BBC Sports Personality of the Year award in 2006 and 2010, finishing as runner-up in the latter year.

Taylor won his last World Championship in 2013.

Is Phil Taylor playing at the World Senior Darts Championship?

In short, no, Phil Taylor won’t be playing at the World Senior Darts Championship.

The legendary Taylor was also due to compete in the World Senior Masters in November, but pulled out due to a hip injury.

The Power has not appeared in a major PDC tournament since 2018, but has been a regular on the senior scene.

However, Taylor has now fully retired from darts, as his hip injury became too much for him to play through anymore.

Will Phil Taylor ever play darts again?

Taylor is unlikely to ever play darts again – but did hint he’d be back if a mega-money offer came in.

He said: “Would I come back? I would ask to be sent some darts and a dartboard, definitely.

“I think also, if it does go to Saudi Arabia, I wouldn’t put it past Barry [Hearn] – £10million for the winner.

“I think Saudi Arabia is that big of a sports country now, I think they could make it £10m.

“That’s how big I think Barry will make it. I’ll be doing something, trust me.”

How to watch the World Senior Darts Championship and is there a live stream

  • BBC Sport will offer coverage of the Senior Darts Championship.
  • Coverage will come via the BBC iPlayer or the BBC Red Button.
  • Action from the iconic Circus Tavern will take place between Wednesday, February 19 and Saturday, February 22.
  • Phil Taylor will not feature at this year’s tournament.

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Moment mystery ‘neighbour from hell’ stuffs POO through letterbox & smears paint stripper over cars in ‘calculated’ plot

THIS is the moment a mystery “neighbour from hell” stuffs poo through an elderly couple’s letterbox.

Ken and Diane Lott, both 81, were in tears after arriving home from a gig on the Isle of Wight when they saw the damage on February 9.

CCTV image of a woman in a blue hooded jacket.
SWNS
CCTV shows the moment a woman holding an umbrella approaches Ken and Diane Lott’s front door[/caption]
Manure smeared on a letterbox.
SWNS
What is believed to be manure smeared over the letterbox[/caption]
Newspaper smeared with manure, left in a mailbox.
SWNS
Newspaper covered in what is believed to be manure that was left in the letterbox[/caption]

The couple, who live in Hockley, Essex, found manure had been smeared across their letterbox during the incident which they caught on CCTV.

The footage shows a woman at 10.30pm on February 8 at the front of their property holding manure in newspaper.

It also shows the woman at their front door with what they believe is the lid of glue in her mouth and she leans over the keyhole.

Mr and Mrs Lott were targeted in a similar act of vandalism on April 28 last year in which shocking CCTV showed paint stripper poured over their cars.

They believe the same person is responsible for both incidents and are appealing for the woman to stop.

Daughter Julie, 47, was horrified by the attack on her parents’ home and has published CCTV pictures on social media.

She said: “My mum was in tears last night, both my parents are incredibly distressed.

“No one needs things like this happening at any time of life let alone at the age of 81.

“My parents got home on the Sunday to find a key glued into their front door lock and when they pulled the newspaper out of the letterbox it was covered in what looks like manure.

“CCTV shows the person concerned entered the drive with a red umbrella up but they put it down to open the glue and so we have a very clear picture.

“We as a family have no idea why this has happened and we do not recognise the person involved but it is definitely the same person as vandalised the cars last year.

“We just want to know who is doing this and why and to get this behaviour stopped.

“I just want this person found. This is much more than damage to a door. It’s harassment.

“I am infuriated and I want this person brought to justice. This is targeted, calculated behaviour and cannot be allowed to continue.”

The attack on the couple’s home back in April last year saw paint stripper poured over the family’s two cars.

Black paint was also sprayed over all the car windows and construction foam sprayed into the cars’ exhaust pipes and the front door lock.

Both cars had to be written off.

An Essex Police spokesperson said: “We are investigating an allegation of criminal damage in which a door was damaged at a property in Main Road, Hockley.

“The damage was reported to the police at around 3.15 pm on Sunday 9th February.”

CCTV footage of a woman under an umbrella near a front door.
SWNS
The couple also found a key glued into their front door[/caption]
CCTV footage of vandalism: a person pouring paint stripper onto two cars.
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CCTV captures a perpetrator pouring paint stripper on the Lotts’ cars[/caption]
CCTV footage of a woman holding an umbrella and what appears to be manure near a front door.
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Police are investigating the incident[/caption]

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Love Island All Stars hit by over 2,000 Ofcom complaints in a WEEK as fans hit out at controversial final

LOVE Island All Stars has been hit by over 2,000 Ofcom complaints in a week, as fans hit out at the controversial final.

The complaints are due to ‘bullying behaviour’ by different participants, including Elma, Grace, Ekin-Su, Luca, Curtis and Olivia.

Elma Pazar and Ekin-Su Culculoglu talking on a Love Island terrace.
Rex
Love Island All Stars has been hit by over 2,000 Ofcom complaints in a week, as fans hit out at the controversial final[/caption]

The figures, spread over a week, show that on February 12, the show received its highest number of complaints, at 1,347.

Then, on February 11 there were 820, on February 13 there were 63 and on February 16 there were 57.

The Sun has contacted Ofcom for comment.

The show was hit with Ofcom complaints after watching Grace Jackson swear at Luca Bish when a game turned vicious.

In uncomfortable scenes, the model told Luca to “shut the f**k up” after he made the decision to kiss Samie Elishi during spin the bottle.

Many fans took to social media at the time to express their concerns and a total of 57 officially complained to the broadcasting regulator.

In other scenes, Love Island fans called for bosses to remove Elma after she was accused of ‘bullying’ as they complained to Ofcom.

Elma shocked fans after she entered a blazing row with Curtis and Ekin-Su following days of snarky comments towards the pair.

Things came to a head after it was revealed in a challenge that 58% of the public said that they didn’t believe Ekin and Curtis were a good match.

Fans watched on and spotted Elma smirking as Ekin sat overthinking the result whilst admitting that she didn’t want to talk about it- visibly upset.

After days of being on the receiving end of snarky comments, Ekin finally snapped and decided to confront her villa friend-turned-rival once and for all.

The Turkish actress confronted her and accused her of bearing a “weird grudge”.

But, this didn’t end to well and the pair ended up in a screaming match whilst the whole villa watched on in shock.

Fans raged on social media condemning the TOWIE’s stars actions, one user said: “Report the ongoing bullying of Ekin & Curtis to Ofcom!! I have #LoveIsland”

Another added: “This has been HORRIBLE to watch! Elma bullies everyone, Scott, Ron, Ekin and Curtis, immature potty mouth. Even dissing Curtis for making coffee? Any excuse to be nasty! Get her out #elmagohome

“Ofcom WILL be hearing from me tonight after elma’s attitude and tone x” chimed a third.

Fans also threatened to call Ofcom after the Heart Rate challenge.

It sees the villa boys and girls compete against each other with a series of steamy performances, whilst dressed up in sexy costumes.

The challenge often involves lots of grinding and kissing, but this year things went further.

It was Ekin-Su‘s sexy antics that left fans with their jaws dropped, with many finding her performance “too much” to watch.

Dressed in a devil costume, she first gave Sammy Root – who is partnered with Elma Pazar – a full on snog.

But she didn’t stop there – she was just warming up.

Fans were then left outraged when she grinded on Curtis Pritchard on the floor.

The couple could be seen simulating sex as she dry humped him, much to the dancer’s delight.

Ekin even rubbed her man’s face into her cleavage and moved his head up and down her body.

Fans were not impressed with the couple’s actions and threatened to call Ofcom.

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M23 traffic: Major motorway near Gatwick SHUTS due to crash between 3 cars & lorry sparking huge emergency response

A MAJOR motorway has been shut after crash between three cars and a lorry forced a section of the road to be blocked off.

Drivers heading towards Gatwick Airport this morning are bracing for chaos as emergency services rush to the scene of a collision.

(TAKEN WITHOUT PERMISSION)
SMASH MAYHEM M23 traffic: Major motorway near Gatwick SHUTS due to crash between 3 cars & lorry sparking huge emergency response
https://x.com/SameDayCoventry/status/1892121364955275375
Credit: Twitter
A crash near a major motorway has left thousands in heavy traffic

A multi-vehicle crash this morning in Surrey on the M23 has lead to heavy congestion and standstill traffic.

Cops, Surrey Fire & Rescue service and South East Coast Ambulance arrived at the scene and sections of the road are now closed off.

The smash, which happened between junction J9, Gatwick, and J10, Crawley, has lead to a section of the road to be blocked off leaving thousands of motorist stuck.

National Highways South-East said: “M23 south between J9 GatwickAirport & J10 Crawley following a multi-vehicle collision.

“Surrey Police, Surrey Fire & Rescue service and South East Coast Ambulance are all working at scene, Traffic Officers assisting with traffic management Diversion via ‘Hollow Diamond.'”

Drivers have been asked to use the M23 southbound at junction 9 onto the Gatwick Spur to avoid the congestion.

Sussex Police said: “The M23 is closed southbound between junction 9 and 10, in the Pound Hill, Crawley, area this morning while emergency services deal with a collision.

“The road is expected to remain closed for some time, and motorists are asked to please avoid the area if possible.”

One driver shared a photo of the traffic, writing: “M23 southbound between M25 & J9.”

Screenshot of a traffic jam on a highway.
Traffic is building up on the M23 after a three-vehicle crash

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EastEnders actor admits Phil Mitchell actor Steve McFadden ‘wanted to punch co-star in the face’ after on set incident

A FORMER EastEnders legend has been spilling the beans on a tense behind-the-scenes feud.

The former soap star has today revealed how Phil Mitchell actor Steve McFadden, 65, once “wanted to punch his co-star in the face” after an on set incident.

Steve McFadden, who plays Phil Mitchell in EastEnders, leaning on an Albert Square sign.
BBC
A former EastEnders star has revealed Steve McFadden almost ‘came to blows’ with one of his co-stars[/caption]
A man and young boy cuddling on a couch.
Alamy
Michael Greco played Beppe di Marco on the long-running soap and has been spilling the beans[/caption]
Still image from EastEnders showing Gianni attacking Rod.
BBC
Michael revealed that his on screen brother Marc Bannerman left Steve fuming[/caption]

Michael Greco, 54, who played Beppe di Marco on the long-running soap from 1998 until 2002, spilled the tea on the incident back in the 90s.

The actor was part of the Di Marco clan who were introduced to EastEnders as rivals to the infamous Mitchell family.

Alongside Beppe, the line-up also included brother Gianni played by Marc Bannerman.

Now, over two decades late Michael has revealed the Di Marco/Mitchell feud spilled out into real life.

The former soap star said there was an incident during filming, which saw actor Steve fuming – and resulted in him not speaking to Michael or his on-screen brother Marc for months.

Speaking on Suffolk Sound Radio, he said: “When I was doing a scene with my on screen brother Gianni played by Marc Bannerman, we were filming with the Mitchell brothers, and Gianna improvised and spat on the floor and Steve went mental, effing and jeffing, I thought he was going to hit Marc, he went crazy. 

“I was looking at my script thinking, I don’t think that was in the script and the director had to come over and tell Steve to calm down.

Continuing with the tale, Michael said: “And the director came over and told us that Steve wanted to send us to Coventry, I didn’t know what that meant.

“I turned to Marc and said, I don’t want to go to Coventry, why do they want to send us to there?!”

“So from that moment, they didn’t speak to us for about 6 months!”

The Sun has gone to the BBC for a comment.

NOT INVITED BACK

Meanwhile, this latest revelation comes just days after Michael revealed he wasn’t invited back to take part in the EastEnders 40th anniversary special.

A number of star names have made huge comebacks to the long-running soap in recent months.

The likes of Tracy-Ann Oberman, Joe Swash and Call The Midwife star Cliff Parisi have reprised their fan-favourite characters.

“I didn’t get the call, I wasn’t asked to go back at all,” Michael said.

“I’m not on their radar so, I think if wasn’t asked back to help with their 40th I don’t think I never go back.”

However, it’s not all bad news for the actor.

Despite not appearing on EastEnders for a number of years, he still earns money from the soap.

He admitted: “Yeah I know about the re-runs. I get a £1.27 repeat fees every six months from episodes.”

EastEnders' 40th anniversary cameos so far

With the 40th anniversary of EastEnders coming up, fans are looking forward to some more incredible cameos from iconic faces of Walford's past. But who have we had so far?

Tracy-Ann Oberman – Oberman returned as Chrissie Watts, a character she last played nearly two decades ago.

Paul Bradley – Bradley returned as Nigel Bates, a character he last played over 25 years ago.

Micheal French – French returned as David Wicks, a character he last played two decades ago.

Patsy Palmer – Palmer returned as Bianca Jackson, a character she last played in 2019.

Ricky Groves – Groves returned as Garry Hobbs, a character who has not been seen since 2009.

Cliff Parisi – Parisi returned as Minty Peterson, a character who was last seen on the square in 2010.

Ross Kemp – Kemp has returned to play Grant Mitchell, a character he first played in 1990. The BBC has described Kemp’s storyline as “explosive”. Kemp said it was an “absolute honour” to return to the show.

Other aspects of the 40th anniversary celebration include: A wedding between fan favorites, A huge explosion at the Queen Vic, and A live interactive episode.

Photocall of the Di Marco family from the soap opera *EastEnders*.
News Group Newspapers
The Di Marco family was brought in to rival the Mitchell family[/caption]
Headshot of Michael Greco.
Alamy
The character departed the square in a black cab for a new life in Leicester[/caption]
Michael Greco at the Quintessentially Foundation's annual Poker Night.
He also wished he had more fanfare around his initial Walford exit
Rex

EastEnders continues on BBC One and is available to stream on iPlayer.

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