In one of the most unforgettable — and undoubtedly smelliest — moments in modern darts history, James Wade turned a straightforward Players Championship 17 clash in Leicester into pure comedy gold. The world No. 10, affectionately nicknamed “The Machine,” secured a hard-fought 6-5 win over two-time world champion Peter Wright, but the real talking point wasn’t the scoreline — it was Wade’s mid-match **fart** that left “Snakebite” reeling and the crowd (and online viewers) in stitches.
The incident, quickly christened **”Fartgate”** by fans, unfolded during a tense back-and-forth battle between the two veterans. After releasing a dart, Wade audibly let one rip right on the oche. Peter Wright, the flamboyant 55-year-old Scot, immediately stepped back in disbelief, visibly stunned as the unmistakable sound echoed through the venue. Wade, completely unfazed, casually remarked, **”It slipped out. Give it a second,”** while Wright retreated, chuckling awkwardly and needing a moment to compose himself.
Referee Owen Binks, trying to keep things professional on the live stream, could only manage an exasperated **”Oh boy, okay then… This is a streamed match, guys.”** Wade, ever the cheeky showman, tried to hurry things along with a playful **”Go ahead. Do you want nine more arrows?”** The disruption was brief, but potent enough to briefly halt play and send social media into meltdown.
Fans lapped up the absurdity, flooding platforms with reactions like **”The best sport on earth”** and hailing Wade as **”the funniest guy on tour.”** One quipped, **”Wondered why it was so windy at the Pro Tour — turns out James Wade was at it again.”** Wright, though rattled in the moment, later seemed to take it in good humor, highlighting the darts circuit’s love for banter amid high-stakes competition.
This wasn’t Wade’s first rodeo with such antics. Back in September 2024, during a match against Callan Rydz, a similar suspicious noise sparked online debate — Wade blamed it on **”the velcro on my new trainers,”** an excuse many fans dismissed with sarcasm about “creaking floorboards.” The Leicester episode only fueled the legend, drawing inevitable comparisons to past darts “windy” controversies, like Gary Anderson’s infamous 2018 denial during the Grand Slam of Darts.
Despite the chaos, Wade’s resilience shone through in the 6-5 victory, though his run ended in the quarter-finals with a 6-3 defeat to eventual champion Chris Dobey. Still, the flatulence fiasco overshadowed everything, reminding everyone why darts remains so endearing: a perfect mix of elite skill, raw personality, and gloriously unfiltered human moments.
On the oche, anything can happen — a perfect nine-darter, a dramatic comeback, or, apparently, an ill-timed toot that steals the show. Wade’s mischievous streak continues to entertain, proving that in the PDC ProTour, brilliance and banter go hand in hand. 💨🎯