Painter “exploded” with anger after Taylor clash at the Circus

By Phil Lanning

KEVIN PAINTER “exploded” with anger after the controversial World Championship with Phil Taylor in 2005.

The fascinating off-stage verbals is told by ex-Soccer AM presenter Helen Chamberlain in Dave Clark’s excellent new ‘Stand Up If You Love The Darts’ podcast released today.

Hells Bells, who also did darts reporting for a few years, explained how it all kicked off with the fierce old rivals at the Circus Tavern.

She revealed: “My best memory of Kevin Painter is when him and Phil Taylor squared up on the board in the 2005 World Championship.

“It was at the Circus Tavern, behind the boards there wasn’t much room until you were outside near the Sky Sports trucks.

“I was sat in the Sky trucks just watching. Keith Deller was spotting so he was sitting next to me.

“Painter had missed quite a few bullseyes in that game. He was losing, it wasn’t a close match. He was on 262 so wasn’t on a checkout. Taylor was on a checkout and finished on the bull, like a massive p***take. 

“Painter had words with him and then they kind of bundled off stage. The honest truth is that Keith and I could see that something was brewing and we knew it was happening only a few yards away just outside the Sky trucks.

“We both knew there would be some windmills backstage. We ran for the door at the same time of the Sky trucks and got stuck together in the door. That’s the honest truth. Painter came out and he’d gone, he exploded.

“Painter looked like he was just going to knock someone out and I thought he’s not going to hit a girl so I grabbed him. He’s turned round and looked at me in the eyes and a ton of expletives came out. I actually said the words ‘leave it, it’s not worth it’. I’m dragging him away, dragging him away. Keith is pushing Phil back as well.” 

*Stand Up If You Love The Darts, sponsored by Target Darts, is available to listen now. Go to @daveclarkTV on Twitter.