Darts players are interesting characters/personalities.
Do you know what we find more interesting though?
How they change over time…
It’s not just aging though, some darts players have gone through significant changes to their appearance from the early days when we saw them getting beat in the first round of a major to eventually lifting titles.
In this article, we’ve made a list of some of the best (or notable) darts players to see what they looked like then and now.
Trust us, there’s some belters on this list!
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Darts Players Then and Now
Peter Wright
Kicking this off with one of the most drastic transformations over the years from any darts player.
Snakebite went from a pretty generic looking person with a bit of swagger in his younger years to a full-blown extrovert.
From neatly styled hair and a black button-down shirt to a colourful mohawk and equally ‘loud’ outfits.
Wright’s change in appearance worked out to be marketing genius though, as he gained a swarm of fans for his antics (like dressing up as the Grinch) and would become a two-time World Champion and one of the faces of modern darts.
No one looking at a picture of Wright on the left would have predicted he’d have a pink mohawk in his late 40’s 😂
Gerwyn Price
His face may not have changed much but The Iceman has a different type of ‘then vs now’ to most on this list.
From muddy fields playing professional rugby to indoor arenas hitting 9-darters and winning championships.
He’s not everyone’s cup of tea but to be a professional in two different sports is some going for the Welshman, got to respect the grind and ability for that!
Scott Waites
He’s gone from a tiny soul patch, lengthy sideburns and thinning on top (no offence) at Lakeside finals to no hair on top with a viking beard.
He’s not even recognisable now and even had a stint with a full – but not lengthy – beard.
How do you go from a soul patch to a full length beard?
He’s definitely top 3 when it comes to drastic changes in appearance.
Raymond van Barneveld
Barney is a unique one on this list.
He’s opted for the ‘anti-aging’ route as the 57 year old got a hair transplant and then married a British beauty 18 years his junior 👀
Over the last decade he’s not been able to win as much as he used to but his efforts away from the oche have definitely worked in his favour…
Ross Smith
Well, Smudger had a glow up didn’t he!
Looks in better shape, well kept beard and David Beckham-esque hairstyle has Ross Smith with one of the more ‘impressive’ transformations on this list.
He went from typical darts player to looking more like a footballer, fair play 👏
Luke Humphries
Luke Humphries changed his diet and exercise routine, lost weight, got in shape and then became one of the greatest World Champions in recent memory.
His transformation on and off the oche is remarkable and he’s become a great ambassador for the sport and a great role model for any aspiring players.
10/10 transformation for the Cool Hand.
James Wade
James Wade feels like he’s been around darts forever.
It’s hard to imagine there was a time he burst onto the scene as a ‘young prospect’ but after a few decades in the game, he’s still recognisable from his younger years.
He had a brief spell where he rocked a beard but in 2024 he’s gone back to his baseline look and besides a few extra pounds, he’s not really changed that much since he first appeared at the oche.
Michael Smith
Wow, so that’s what a full beard can do.
We don’t want to insult the 2023 World Champion but all we’ll say is don’t EVER shave that beard Bully Boy, you are not meant for the clean shaved look!
If anyone reading this looks like Smith in the first picture then try growing a beard. You probably won’t win a World Darts Championship but you’ll likely look 10x better for it…
Gary Anderson
The Flying Scotsman is one of the most recognisable on this list from then and now.
He’s basically just aged 😂
No significant hair or weight change. He just wears glasses, has some grey hairs around the sides and sometimes rocks a goatee.
Otherwise, he looks pretty much the same as he did 20 years ago…
Michael van Gerwen
MVG lost his hair from a young age which meant from his late teens to early 20’s he looked drastically different.
Since then though, his image has barely changed and we’re predicting that if we do this list again in another decade, he’ll still look the same.
He aged rapidly and then just kept the look.
Steve Beaton
Iconic then, iconic now.
A Golden Boy of darts, Beaton was known for his looks and charisma back in the day.
The Bronzed Adonis has just ended his professional career on the ProTour as he resigns his Tour Card and will join the World Senior Darts Tour.
Happy semi-retirement to this legend!
Simon Whitlock
The Wizard must be working magic of some sort because he’s barely aged in decades.
Always known for rocking an ‘out there’ look with a mullet, goatee, beard or ponytail variation, Whitlocks look has stayed pretty consistent with the change just being the length and thickness of his beard.
Still, he’s been iconic at the oche and an inspiration for players from the Land Down Under.
Rob Cross
For sure the wildest transformation on this list.
Rob Cross isn’t even recognisable and we’re sure it’s not the same person.
He’s only lost a tiny bit of hair and maybe put on a stone in weight but somehow he doesn’t even look like the same person.
His transformation needs to be studied 🧐
The picture doesn’t do it justice, watch the video below and see for yourself 👇
We enjoyed making this list so if you think we’ve missed any great transformations drop us a comment. We’ll definitely be coming back to update this list in the future!
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