Darts star to face no action for exit as fans chant "he s***s when he wants"

03 March 2024 , 17:19

1095     0

Simon Whitlock will face no further action from the PDC (Image: PDC)

Simon Whitlock will face no more action after darting for a toilet break midway through a leg during his fourth round tie against Damon Heta at the UK Open.

The 55-year-old made a quick dash to the toilet mid-leg while trailing 8-9 against fellow Aussie Heta at Butlins in Minehead on Friday, admitting: "I am going to burst. I've got to go."

Referee Huw Ware allowed Whitlock permission to go to the loo, before the world no.45 returned and lost the next leg to fall to a 10-8 defeat and bow out of the tournament. Supporters chanted "Simon Whitlock, he s***s when he wants" when he returned to stage, but the PDC insist that Whitlock was ill.

Chief executive Matt Porter said: "Before he went on stage, we were aware that Simon was unwell. There was definitely no question of gamesmanship. He was genuinely ill and it was an unfortunate call of nature."

Whitlock, who beat Maik Kuivenhoven 6-5 to reach the fourth round earlier on Friday, left Heta to practice for two minutes before returning to the stage. 'The Wizard' apologised to his compatriot before the tie resumed, with Heta eventually winning and progressing to the next round.

Darts star once drained radiator to heat pot noodle as he admits to overspending

Recalling the incident, Heta said: "It was funny, it was. I didn't know the rules at the time and but you know what, I took Huw Ware's word for whatever's going on and just rolled with it. Simon did say to me he'd throw the game and give it to me. He just said, look I've got to go."

Simon Whitlock and Damon Heta on Friday

Meanwhile, Phil Taylor didn't criticise Whitlock for darting off stage, though he admitted it was an "unusual" spectacle to set for a live TV audience. "I'm not going to be judge and jury because I don't know why it happened, but I would probably guess that Simon was sick and when you've got to go, you’ve got to go," 'the Power' said.

"You see toilet breaks in tennis, but a tennis match can last four or five hours and the players have to stay hydrated so you can understand it. But it's obviously very unusual in a game which lasts 45 or 50 minutes, and there have already been three scheduled TV breaks."

and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our

Kieran King