Brooks reveals wild Q-School celebration after mistakenly thinking he was through

BRADLEY BROOKS revealed he was “dying” after celebrating his Q-School success with a wild night out before discovering he still had to play.

The world No65 regained his Tour Card at the 2025 Q-School after finishing top of the UK Order of Merit with a record 16 points.

But Brooks, 26, admitted he thought his work was done after reaching two finals and a quarter-final across the first three days.

He told the Tops and Tales podcast: “When you go on the darts rankings I went dark green.

“So, I won my card. I thought happy days lets celebrate. So, we went back to the hotel and got changed.

“We went out and got back at silly o’clock. I didn’t realise they changed the rules and no matter what you had to play on the last day.”

Bam Bam ended up celebrating with a boozy bash at Popworld but soon discovered there was one major problem with his plan.

He added: “So, I woke up in not the best condition. I was in the middle of Popworld singing my heart to One Direction.

“One of the lads came over and said, ‘You don’t mind having a beer, do you, because you are through anyway?’

“I was like, yeah, because I don’t have to play tomorrow. I’ve gone dark green, I don’t have to.

“He went, ‘You have not read the players brief, have you?’ He pulled it up. ‘You have to play all four days.’

“He got the players brief and showed me in the middle of Popworld.

“As I found this out, my manager had just bought a booth in Popworld, came over with a bottle of vodka and started tipping it in my mouth!”

The former world youth champion remarkably came flying out of the blocks on his final day of action in Milton Keynes.

He said: “Then the draw came out and I got Graham Usher. I was like, just plod along, you won’t win it but you can come and go.

“He went, ‘You having a practice?’ I went, no, we’ll just go.

“First leg I got a 167 for a 12-darter.

“Next leg I hit a 161 for a 12. I was thinking I should do this more often. As the day went on I got better.

“Then I got in the quarter-finals again and lost to Adam Lipscombe. The Monday when I got back I didn’t move.”

The Lancashire thrower went on to claim his maiden PDC senior title later that year, beating Gerwyn Price 8-5 in the Players Championship 25 final.

Words: Aaron Nijjar

Image: Taylor Lanning