Bunting says son, 13, receiving online abuse

After his son was the victim of online abuse, Stephen Bunting claimed he was left “hurt.”

World number four Bunting, 40, suffered a dramatic 4-3 defeat to world number 63 James Hurrell on Saturday in the 2026 PDC World Darts Championship.

13-year-old Bunting’s son, who regularly appeared on television supporting his father during his dramatic loss on seven sets, was present at Alexandra Palace.

Bunting stated that the abuse his son’s father has received has been “hurtful” for the entire family after posting on X for the first time since Saturday’s exit.

“Hi, guys. Sorry, but I just needed a little rest and recuperation after a few days off from my socials, Bunting said.

“I adore my family very much, and they are incredibly motivating me to keep going.” I still think I’ll have a lot to give to people throughout my career, and I want to make them proud forever.

They look out for the negative comments and try their best to stop them from happening, and even [my son] has been vilified online by some of the trolls, which hurts our family in particular.

One of the nicest kids you could wish to meet is him, and we’ll be having a lot more social interactions this year.

Bunting’s social media pages are regularly accompanied by his father at events both on and off the oche, including Bunting’s.