The PDC’s dancers are helping make the World Darts Championship a spectacle that might even change Raymond van Barneveld’s thinking.
The five-time champion was among the 48,000 signatures that supported a petition opposing the removal of walk-on girls in 2018.
Six years ago, PDC chairman Barry Hearn conceded walk-on girls were ‘in danger of becoming incompatible with inclusive family viewing’.
“We speak to the players at exhibitions and at the time we had a massive support from players like Raymond van Barneveld, who couldn’t understand it either,” former walk-on girl Charlotte Wood told Daily Star Sport in 2022.
“I speak to the players all the time at exhibitions and they don’t understand it either. But then they wouldn’t because as I said, we were there and then we weren’t. There was a petition started that got something like 50,000 signatures when Barneveld tweeted about it.
“We had a lot of tweets off the players saying this shouldn’t be happening and asking why we’d lost our jobs.”
In their place at PDC events is a dazzling line-up of dancers to bring the glitz and glam to this year’s tournament at Alexandra Palace.
Eight stars are selected from 200 hopefuls, and they include a TikTok star to a fire-breather and even a former Hollyoaks actress.
Sophie May Lambert, who has over 45,000 TikTok followers, debuted at Ally Pally in 2013 and is now team manager and choreographer.
The seasoned dancer told Online Darts: “We had over 200 girls apply which was incredible and then we had 100 turn up on the day.”
“There’s a new direction in the team now, the team is growing as a brand – people wanna see the girls as well, they’ve got their own platform now, so come and see the girls.
“Within the dancer’s industry, it’s an achievement to become a PDC dancer!”
11
11
11
Four new dancers have been recruited for their debut in the 2024/25 tournament, including Imogen Bottomley.
The 5’11’ brunette’s ‘talent stretches as high as her height’ according to the PDC Darts Dancers social media pages.
Bottomley recently graduated from leading Vocational University Creative Academy before joining the Ally Pally crew in November.
Multi-skill performer Georgia Long has also made the cut and she might stand out on stage as a professional fire breather.
Fellow newcomer of the group Ellie Jackson hails from Sheffield and will relish a homecoming performance in Yorkshire next year.
The fourth and final newbie is flexibility coach Lacey Edwards, who is the most recognisable to casual fans jumping on the darts hype.
11
11
11
11
Edwards was one of four bombshell arrivals to the Love Island villa during the last few weeks of series eight in July 2022.
She revealed to ITV: “I’ve been dancing all over the world since I was 18 when I moved to France, I recently came to one of the ends of my contracts in France and I was like I am really ready to meet someone and my friends were like why haven’t you applied for Love Island before you’re literally perfect for it.”
The Swindon dancer was interested in Laura Woods’ now-fiance Adam Collard and Luca Bish, who was coupled up with Michael Owen’s daughter Gemma, but was ultimately voted out within a week.
Edwards told Daily Star last year: “I was meant to go in as the first bombshell then it went later and my flight kept getting delayed.
11
She added: “It was upsetting because I would have rather have been told ‘We’re thinking you’re going to come on as the last bombshell’ just so I could have made the decision if it was going to be worth it.
“But no, I wouldn’t have done it.”
Edwards is not the only PDC dancer with small-screen experience, as she joins personal trainer and group veteran Amy Kemp.
The Welsh star has enjoyed small cameos as an actress on Hollyoaks and Funny Girl, with prior roles in a Betfred advert as well.
11
11
Kemp is no stranger to joining viral darts ace Ricky Evans in captivating the crowd on stage.
She previously said: “My favourite interactions with the players are when they join in with us on stage dancing. We love a good YMCA with Ricky!”
Kemp is joined by her Wales countrywoman Jodie Stubbings, who has been described as the ‘resident comedian’ on the tour.
The final PDC dancer in the eight is Londoner Abbi Haynes, who has been with the team since 2017 and is now Dance Captain.