WOODS REVEALS PLAYER SHE MISSES MOST FROM HER TIME IN DARTS

LAURA WOODS revealed she misses Simon Whitlock after admitting she was left “hooked” by the darts icon during his memorable World Championship run.

The popular broadcaster fronted darts coverage for Sky Sports from 2010 until 2022 and says the eccentric Australian remains one of the standout characters from her time in the field. 

Woods first crossed paths with cult favourite Whitlock during his debut at Ally Pally in 2010, when she interviewed him from his opening match all the way through to the final.

The Wizard would go on to miss out on the Sid Waddell Trophy after losing 7-3 to Phil Taylor in the event showpiece. 

But Woods recalled how she quickly became a fan of Whitlock during her time covering the tournament. 

She told the Double Tops Podcast: “Simon Whitlock. Loved him because in 2010, that was his first PDC Worlds. 

“I literally interviewed him from like his first game all the way through, his route all the way through to the final. 

“Because no one wanted to do, like they’re called quotes. I don’t know if they’re still called quotes. 

“So, you do the little crappy pre-match interviews that you have to do and it’s like the same questions, blah, blah, blah. 

“You’re not going to hear my voice. So can you just do this? But I loved it and I took those very seriously as well, obviously. 

“Simon Whitlock was like my first interview. I used to tell my family, my brother actually put a bet on him, I’m sure in the quarterfinals or something like that.  

“Anyway, he made it all the way to the final and Phil Taylor beat him. But I was like, I was hooked. Just this like mesmerising character.

“He was so different, I loved it.” 

Woods also reflected on her time reporting on the oche, saying she still feels a strong sense of nostalgia for the environment and everything that came with it. 

She added: “I miss everything. I miss, do you know what it is for me? I just, I miss like, there’s something very homely about the darts.

“I don’t know what it is. It’s like, I think it’s so familiar to me. Like the whole environment is so familiar. 

“The World Championship at Christmas just used to make my life. I loved it. You were so absorbed in it. 

“It was like every single day. My whole family got into it. And my mom used to live a 10 minute walk from Ally Pally. 

“So, it was perfect. So, I’d just stay with her all over Christmas. And just go and do the darts. 

“I don’t know what it is. They were just, they were such big nights and the characters were amazing. The crowd was so great. 

“Everyone in like their fancy dress. I fell in love with it the minute I first did that one in 2010. 

“It just stuck. Yeah, it stayed with me.”

Image by Taylor Lanning.