William O’Connor Leaves Darts Commentators Horrified After Bizarre Swiss Darts Trophy Celebration

Darts fans are accustomed to spectacular checkouts, dramatic comebacks and celebrations that shake the arena. But William O’Connor managed to create one of the most bizarre talking points at the Swiss Darts Trophy without needing to hit a single treble.

The Irishman found himself dealing with an unexpected visitor on the dartboard during his first-round match against Finland’s Jani Haavisto. What followed was a moment that left commentators stunned, entertained the crowd and briefly turned a professional darts contest into an unlikely battle against an insect.

And just when viewers might have thought the incident was over, O’Connor appeared to deliver another blow. The reaction from commentator Dan Dawson made the moment even more memorable.

 

William O’Connor Has No Mercy For Unwanted Visitor

The incident happened during the opening stages of O’Connor’s first-round encounter with Haavisto at the European Tour event in Basel, Switzerland.

A large insect landed on the dartboard, creating an unusual distraction for the players. In a sport where concentration and precision are everything, having a bug sitting on the target is hardly ideal.

O’Connor, a former kickboxer, eventually took matters into his own hands after the insect became the centre of attention.

The 40-year-old Irishman stamped on the bug after it came off the board, then celebrated his action in front of the crowd. The timing was particularly ridiculous because the players were supposed to be concentrating on hitting tiny sections of a dartboard, not dealing with an unexpected creature invading their workspace.

O’Connor returned to his business at the oche and hit double four to win the opening leg. However, the drama did not end there, as he appeared to step on the insect again while retrieving his darts.

It was the sort of moment that nobody watching the match could have predicted.

Dan Dawson’s Reaction Makes The Moment Even Funnier

While O’Connor was dealing with the insect, commentator Dan Dawson provided a reaction that added another layer of comedy to the incident.

Dawson initially sounded horrified by what had happened, but the situation quickly became too bizarre not to laugh about. Once the broadcast showed the size of the insect, his reaction became even more memorable.

He exclaimed: “What a monster! What even is that? Burn its body!”

It was a wonderfully unexpected line from the commentary box, capturing the absurdity of a professional darts player apparently taking on an insect as though it were another opponent.

The Professional Darts Corporation also joined in the fun, describing it as potentially the biggest bug ever seen on a dartboard.

That is quite a claim, considering the number of unusual interruptions darts has experienced over the years.

Of course, the insect did not have a ranking, a tournament average or a chance of winning prize money. But for a brief moment, it became the centre of attention at an event featuring some of the world’s best players.

O’Connor Gets The Job Done Despite The Distraction

The funniest part of the story is that the insect incident was only a small part of O’Connor’s afternoon.

Once the unexpected interruption was over, the Irishman got on with the task of winning his match. He defeated Haavisto convincingly, taking the contest 6-1 and booking his place in the second round.

O’Connor produced an average of 92.95, a respectable performance that was enough to see him through against the Finnish player.

The victory also earned him £2,500 in prize money, while the eventual tournament winner stood to collect £35,000.

His reward for progressing was a considerably more serious challenge against England’s Ross Smith.

That is where the attention would return to what matters most: scoring heavily, taking out doubles and maintaining composure when the pressure rises.

O’Connor, ranked 33rd in the world at the time, has enough experience to understand that a convincing first-round victory means little if he cannot carry that performance into the next match.

Still, he will undoubtedly be remembered for something rather different from his average or finishing percentage after this encounter.

Darts Has A Long History Of Unwanted Insect Visitors

Anyone who regularly watches darts will know that insects occasionally become unexpected participants in major tournaments.

The most famous example is probably the so-called Ally Pally wasp, which has repeatedly appeared during the World Darts Championship at Alexandra Palace in London.

Players have been distracted by wasps flying around their faces, landing on their clothing and occasionally interrupting their concentration. The situation has generated plenty of amusing television moments, although it can also be genuinely uncomfortable for those competing.

During the 2025 World Championship, insects again attracted attention, with players having to contend with unexpected visitors while attempting to perform on one of the sport’s biggest stages.

In 2020, Australian darts star Simon Whitlock also made headlines after squashing a fly on the board during a World Grand Prix match against Mervyn King.

That incident prompted another memorable reaction from commentator Wayne Mardle, demonstrating that insects and darts have a habit of producing television moments nobody could script.

There is an important difference between these incidents and the actual sporting action, of course. Players train for years to perform under pressure, but nobody prepares specifically for a bug landing on the target halfway through a leg.

Perhaps that is part of the appeal. These moments offer a reminder that live sport can be unpredictable in ways that have absolutely nothing to do with the competition itself.

Was O’Connor Right To Celebrate?

The incident also raises an amusing question about how players should react when something unexpected interrupts a match.

Some fans will see O’Connor’s celebration as harmless entertainment. The insect was an unwanted distraction, the player dealt with it, and the crowd got a moment they will probably remember longer than the opening leg itself.

Others might feel that celebrating the killing of a creature was unnecessary, particularly when the situation could have been handled by tournament staff.

Personally, the funniest part is the sheer contrast between the seriousness of professional darts and the ridiculousness of what happened. One minute, O’Connor was competing in a high-level tournament; the next, he was apparently celebrating a victory over an insect.

That does not mean every unusual moment needs to become a controversy. The available footage and reactions make this look more like an absurd sporting interruption than anything that should overshadow the competition.

And, importantly, O’Connor still had a match to win after the incident.

Can O’Connor Turn His Win Into A Deep Tournament Run?

With Haavisto beaten, O’Connor could turn his attention to the challenge of facing Smith in the next round.

The Englishman is a dangerous opponent who can punish missed doubles and inconsistent scoring. O’Connor would need to produce a stronger performance if he wanted to continue progressing through the tournament.

His first-round display was solid enough, but the next match would provide a much clearer indication of whether he could make a serious run in Basel.

For now, though, his unusual encounter with the insect has guaranteed him a different kind of spotlight.

Darts is at its best when it combines elite skill with the unpredictable atmosphere of live competition. O’Connor’s bizarre celebration certainly delivered the latter, even if it had very little to do with hitting a treble 20.

What do you think of William O’Connor’s reaction? Was it a hilarious moment that made the tournament more entertaining, or should he have left the insect alone and allowed officials to deal with it?