Justin Hood has become the latest Alexandra Palace cult hero after his incredible run to the quarter-finals and has got the crowd on side with his dream to open a Chinese takeaway.
Well, that dream has come true as Hood is guaranteed at least £100,000 for reaching the last eight where he will play Gary Anderson on Thursday afternoon, live on Your Site Darts.
The 32-year-old made history by throwing 11 out of 11 doubles - a new PDC record - on his way to stunning Josh Rock 4-0 in the fourth round.
After that match, he asked the crowd "who wants a Chinese?" and said he plans to open a new takeaway in 2026.
"I think we're there, I don't think I've got a choice in that, I think we're there now," he said to the media.
"I haven't got a timeline yet, but you've got to pay double! But we'll be looking into it after the Worlds has finished and go from there."
Hood is one of the shortest players on the tour at 5ft4 (1.63m) but has one of the biggest personalities, pulling funny faces during his matches and has a care-free attitude.
He's nicknamed 'Happy Feet' because he borrowed oversized shoes for a county game as a teenager and has certainly put plenty of smiles on people's faces.
"I'm not going to change who I am," he said.
"It's a game of darts. If I play well, I can win. I've proved that today and the last three times I've played. I'm doing well, long may it continue."
Hood worked as a night porter until November 2024 when he decided to try and earn a PDC Tour card.
"I took the gamble, spent all our savings on a hotel down Milton Keynes for eight weeks and it paid off," he said.
"It wasn't the best experience in the cheapest hotel I could find, but I said, we've got to take the gamble. I put all my time into it and it has paid off."
Hood lost his first two games during Stage 1 of Q-School in January before winning day 2 of the final stage for the gamble to pay off.
He has been playing on the ProTour throughout the year with just one quarter-finals appearance at Players Championship 23 in Hildesheim in July, but had showed glimpses of something to build on at the UK Open in March with a run to the fourth round at the televised tournament.
Nobody could have predicted this extraordinary run to the quarter-finals, so what's changed?
"Laziness, I've been very lazy this year, I've done what I've always done, half an hour of practice a day and then turn up to the pro tours, do my three hours and play," revealed Hood.
"The last six weeks I've put a lot of time on the board, four or five hours a day and it's paying off, so next year I'm going to be doing it every day, watch out."
Hood thrashed Welshman Nick Kenny in the first round then announced himself to the world by shocking seventh seed Danny Noppert in arguably the match of the tournament so far.
Both players averaged 102 in a contest that went down to sudden-death in the deciding set with Hood coming out on top, resisting everything Noppert threw at him.
He comfortably saw off Ryan Meikle in the third round before a record-breaking performance against Rock with 100 per cent double success from his first 11 winning legs.
"It's not a fairytale. I know what I can do and it's nice to prove it up here," he said.
"I was thinking about it [the doubles]. It was on the screen! The only time I had a bit of nerves when I was throwing to win it in the penultimate leg.
"It's very overwhelming. I'm not used this. I usually get hate messages. This is mad."
Hood will face another major test against two-time world champion Anderson in the quarter-finals, but he isn't showing any fear.
"I don't worry about anyone, it doesn't matter if it's them two or someone who's just got their tour card. It's a game of darts. If I play like I can, I can beat them, if I don't, they'll beat me, but I'm confident I'll win," he said before Anderson beat Van Gerwen 4-1.
"They've always got a chance, they are legends of the sport but if they beat me, they've got to earn it, and I ain't worried about either of them.
"No one's beating me before they get on there, they've got to earn it, I ain't worried about any player, I don't care if it's those two, Phil Taylor or someone down the pub, if I play my game I'll beat everyone in there, if I play well. If I don't, they can beat me, so I've just got to go out there and keep doing what I'm doing."
Hood and Anderson have actually faced each other once this year in the behind closed doors Players Championship events in Leicester, and Hood was victorious 6-2 despite Anderson averaging 105.
"He battered me! I said at the start of the tournament, Justin Hood is a cracking darts player," said Anderson, who is playing in his 10th World Championship quarter-final.
Two-time world champion Anderson has experience on his side but that is unlikely to be a factor given Hood's cool, calm personality.
Anderson says he won't believe a third world title is on the cards yet and is here to "take it a step at a time".
"I have to get past my next game. If I get to the final I've got a chance. If I don't, I've had a good run," he said.
"Getting past the first round in this tournament, with the talent that's coming through, I'm quite happy with what I've done."
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