HURRELL NEARLY DIED BEFORE LIFE-CHANGING SURGERY
27/12/2025 By Aaron Nijjar
JAMES HURRELL says he “nearly died” after putting off a doctor’s visit before finally needing life-saving bowel surgery.
World No.63 Hurrell repeatedly avoided seeing his GP despite struggling to go to the toilet properly for weeks.
‘Hillbilly’ was violently sick one day and only decided to act after noticing blood in the sink.
Hurrell opened up on the frightening ordeal as he explained how his stubbornness nearly cost him his life.
He told SunSport: “In 2017, I nearly had a twisted bowel and nearly died. I had to pull out of the Lakeside Worlds.
“I didn’t go to the doctor. It’s a man thing. I used to go to tournaments and I’d come back with pain up in my ribs.
“Once, I got up in the night and was just sick in the kitchen sink.
“There was blood and that’s when I decided to go to the doctors.
“I didn’t throw darts for two and a half years years. I was really ill. I went down to seven or eight stone.
“My dad rubbed my head when I went down in the wheelchair for the operation and we spoke about my goals.
“Maybe six months to a year after my operation, I was captain of England on the BDO.
“So the performance I put in after my illness – after my operation – honestly, it was down to my dad just rubbing me on my head.
“My message to anybody with health issues is… don’t be scared to go to the doctor. Please don’t be scared to go.
“I did. I was scared but I went in the end. And I was just at the right time.”
The Oxford ace has enjoyed a strong year on the ProTour, reaching the semi-finals of Players Championship 21 and the quarter-finals of event 27.
Hurrell has carried that form onto the sport’s biggest stage, beating Stowe Buntz before springing a huge shock by knocking out Dirk van Duijvenbode to reach round three at the World Championship.
The 41-year-old faces Stephen Bunting with a place in the last 16 of a major on the line for the first time in his career.
Image by Taylor Lanning.
