Darts Referee Condemns Homophobic Abuse Beau Greaves Suffered After Going Public With Girlfriend
Beau Greaves has spent much of 2026 making darts history. Unfortunately, after one of the biggest breakthroughs of her career, the conversation away from the oche became something she should never have had to deal with.
The 22-year-old has revealed that going public with her girlfriend, Shan Reeves, brought a wave of offensive online comments from some men. Greaves described the experience as “tough”, while LGBTQ+ figures within darts have now publicly backed the couple and condemned the abuse.
It is a disappointing development in the middle of what has otherwise been a remarkable season for Greaves. Her relationship with Reeves is nothing new — the pair have been together for four years — but becoming more visible as a couple exposed her to a side of the darts audience that she had not previously experienced so publicly.
Greaves Opens Up About The Reaction
Greaves discussed the experience in an interview with The Observer, explaining that she never viewed herself as having a traditional coming-out moment.
“It’s been tough for me,” she said. “I never really came out, as such. People who knew me, knew, but when we did post about it, there were quite a few vulgar comments from a lot of men.”
That distinction is important. Greaves was not presenting her relationship as some dramatic announcement. She and Reeves had simply reached a point where they were comfortable sharing more of their lives publicly.
The couple first met almost a decade ago through England Youth darts and have now been together for four years. They also live together, with Reeves supporting Greaves around her professional career.
Greaves made the relationship more visible following her historic first PDC Pro Tour title in April. After beating Michael Smith 8-7 in the final, she shared a photograph with Reeves and wrote that she was “feeling so lucky at the moment with this one by my side”.
Her Parents Gave Her A Different Perspective
Perhaps the most striking part of Greaves’ account was not the abuse itself, but the reaction from her parents.
“When I told my mum and dad, they just said, ‘And?’”
That simple response clearly meant a great deal to Greaves.
She added: “At the end of the day, she’s my biggest supporter. Why not embrace it for what it is, and not be bothered about what people say?”
There is something powerful about that attitude, particularly when social media can make a handful of ugly comments feel much larger than they actually are.
Greaves has continued posting about Reeves despite what happened, including sharing moments connected to her achievements on the darts circuit. The reaction from some online users has not stopped her from being open about the person who has supported her throughout her career.
A Historic Season For Greaves
It would be easy for the abuse story to overshadow what Greaves has actually accomplished this year.
That would be a shame because her performances have been extraordinary.
In April, Greaves became the first woman to win a PDC Players Championship ranking event. She defeated three former world champions — Rob Cross, Gary Anderson and Michael Smith — during her run to the title before beating Smith 8-7 in the final.
She has also continued to dominate the women’s game while making serious progress against male opposition.
Greaves won the Women’s World Matchplay for the third time in July, and earlier this month she became the first woman to win a match on the PDC European Tour after defeating Daryl Gurney 6-4 at the Czech Darts Open.
She has also made history by becoming the first woman to hit a nine-dart finish on the PDC Pro Tour.
Those achievements explain why Greaves is becoming such an important figure in darts. She is no longer simply a dominant player in women’s competitions; she is increasingly testing herself against the strongest players in the sport.
Huw Ware And Out On The Oche Respond
The response from Out on the Oche, the LGBTQ+ network within darts, was unequivocal.
The group said: “We strongly condemn the discrimination Beau and Shan have received on social media from some sections of the darts audience.”
It added: “The incident further reinforces the notion that darts has a long way to go to being as inclusive and welcoming as it should be.”
Darts referee Huw Ware has been one of the most visible LGBTQ+ representatives within professional darts. Ware officiated the PDC World Championship final in January 2025 and has helped develop Out on the Oche, which has grown to around 200 members with support from the PDC.
The organisation has also been involved in conversations about discrimination within the sport, making its response to Greaves particularly significant.
Out on the Oche said it would continue working with the PDC, Darts Regulation Authority and other stakeholders to push for a zero-tolerance approach to discrimination against LGBTQ+ players, fans and officials.
The PDC itself also responded through a spokesperson, saying: “Darts is an inclusive sport, and the PDC is committed to making it welcoming and accessible to everyone.”
The spokesperson added: “There is no place for homophobia or any form of discrimination within our sport, and we strongly condemn any abuse directed towards players, their families or anyone involved in darts.”
Why This Matters For Darts
There is a bigger issue here than one player’s social-media comments.
Darts has grown enormously, attracting new audiences and creating major opportunities for players who previously operated far outside the mainstream sporting spotlight. With that growth comes a responsibility to make sure the sport is welcoming to the people competing, officiating and watching it.
Greaves’ story also shows how quickly online attention can become personal.
Nobody watching her throw a dart should care who she chooses to share her life with. Her relationship with Reeves has no bearing on whether she hits a treble 20, lands a double or beats an opponent.
What should matter is what she does at the oche.
And right now, Greaves is giving fans plenty to talk about there.
The fact that she has continued competing and sharing moments with Reeves after receiving the abuse is arguably one of the most positive aspects of this entire story. She has made it clear that the negativity does not define her relationship or her ambitions.
The Road Ahead
Greaves now has an even bigger sporting challenge ahead as she continues competing in mixed-gender PDC events while remaining a dominant force in women’s darts.
Her goal has been to break into the world’s top 64, and her recent results have put that ambition firmly into focus. As of the latest reporting, she has reached 74th in the overall PDC rankings.
That is where the conversation should ultimately return.
Beau Greaves is building a career on remarkable performances, breaking barriers and proving herself against players from across the sport.
Her relationship with Shan Reeves is part of her life, not the definition of her sporting career.
The support from her family, Reeves, Huw Ware and Out on the Oche has provided an important counterpoint to the ugly comments she received online. And hopefully, as darts continues to grow, the attention surrounding players like Greaves will increasingly focus on what happens on the oche rather than who they love.
Greaves has already shown she can make history with a dart in her hand.
Now she is showing that she will not allow a handful of online voices to decide how openly she lives her life.
What do you make of the reaction to Beau Greaves and the support she has received from the darts community?