Stephen Bunting has taken to social media fame like a duck to water, despite dropping ‘Bird Is The Word’ as his walk-on song.
Eagled-eyed darts fans at Ally Pally will spot his uncanny resemblance to cartoon character Peter Griffin from animated comedy Family Guy.
Bunting is one of the most popular figures on the oche and will unite the crowd again at the PDC World Championship this evening.
The 39-year-old, alongside using his own hashtag Lets Go Bunting Mental (LGBM), walks on to DJ David Guetta’s 2011 hit song ‘Titanium’.
However, that wasn’t always the case, with ‘The Bullet’ previously using ‘Bird Is The Word’, aka Surfin’ Bird, by The Trashmen.
The 1963 track discovered a new lease of life in popular culture following its inclusion in a 2008 episode of Family Guy.
Main character Griffin claimed it is his favourite song while doing a unique shuffle which has since become a running gag on the show.
Why did Bunting change his walk-on song?
A video of Bunting emulating his cartoon counterpart in dancing to the song circulated on YouTube a decade ago.
His popularity then began to skyrocket after he used it as his walk-on music at the 2011 World Championship.
However, Bunting has since admitted that the relentless Family Guy impression has negatively influenced his playing for years.
He told Wayne Mardle on his YouTube show Club 501: “The Bird Is The Word, I got paid a lot of money to change my walk on to that.
“It was all well and good at the time but I was more nervous in thinking more about the walk-on than I was about playing. So, It sort of affected my game.”
Bunting told talkSPORT how he became a TikTok sensationBunting, who won his first-ever PDC major at the Masters earlier this season, was reluctant to reveal the exact figure he was paid.
He did concede that it was ‘multiple thousands pounds’.
Ironically, Bunting has since proven he is a family guy by adopting ‘Titanium’ by Guetta featuring Sia in honour of his son.
“When we play in some of these vast arenas, darts can be won by the width of a wire, but when you’re playing at some of these big arenas you need to focus. Sometimes you need that crowd on your side. The cheering really does get you focused,” Bunting told Sky Sports.
“When I go to Germany or Belgium I’m still getting that support but it’s really important to keep them on my side.
“When you’re playing darts it can be a very lonely place but when you’ve got the fans behind you it’s far easier.
“The walk-on songs gets you a lot of fans as well. It’s really important that the crowd have a good time as well, so long may that continue.
“‘Titanium’ is my son’s favourite song so that was the reason behind that and it’s got the bulletproof tag line.
“I got rid of the bird because it was just a lot of hard work. I had to get on stage and do the Peter Griffin dance.”
“Oh, it’ll be amazing. Obviously, at the Ally Pally, it’s just a special place” Bunting added to Sky on walking out to his new song.
“The walk-on last year was unbelievable. Obviously, everyone’s singing ‘Titanium’ and stuff. Yeah, it really does help you as well, especially if things don’t go right in the match.
“The crowd are there on your side. It’s nice to be known as a fan favourite. A lot of the TikTok stuff I do as well, messing around and stuff.
“I think the fans see my sort of personality, which is good, and it’s good to give something back to the fans as well.
“I’ve also seen even more now with the merchandise, and people wearing the Bunting t-shirts and singing the ‘Let’s go Bunting mental’ chant. It’s gone crazy, to be honest.
“People are all singing it at every venue I go to now, and even when people are in the street pulling me to one side, ‘Oh, Bunting mental!’.
“It’s gone absolutely crazy, and yeah, long may it continue.”
Bunting beat Peter Wright 5-2 in the quarter-finals and will now take on teenage superstar Luke Littler in the final four.
Should he win that match, he will take on either Chris Dobey or Michael van Gerwen in Friday’s showpiece final.
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