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Phil Taylor admits his real feelings about new job and why he quit darts

Phil 'The Power' Taylor is widely considered the greatest darts player of all time, but the 16-time world champion has swapped the oche for the microphone in recent months

[Photo of Phil Taylor with a trophy]

Phil Taylor has admitted his true feelings about presenting(Image: PA)

Phil Taylor has confessed he's feeling a bit out of his depth in his new gig as a presenter. The darts legend, who boasts 16 world championships to his name, hung up his arrows for good back in May.

There's no disputing that 'The Power' is the greatest darts player of all time, with an impressive 87 major PDC titles under his belt, including 16 victories at both Ally Pally and the World Matchplay.

At 57, Taylor bid farewell to the PDC in 2018 but continued to make appearances at exhibitions. Four years on, he took part in his first competitive event since retiring, the inaugural World Seniors Darts Championship.

[Phil Taylor attends a Pluto TV & MODUS Super Series night of darts on February 11, 2025 in London, England]

The darts legend swapped the oche for the microphone(Image: WireImage for Pluto TV)

However, it soon became clear that his darting prowess wasn't what it used to be, and he decided to call it a day in May.

These days, Taylor's swapped his darts for a mic and is gearing up for another stint as a presenter at the World Seniors Darts Champion of Champions on Sunday, June 29. But he admits he's not quite as adept at hosting as he was at throwing arrows, reports the Mirror.

"I'm like a fish out of water at the minute, so I'm still learning," Taylor admitted ahead of the World Seniors Darts Bet Goodwin Champion of Champions, which will be broadcast live and free on Pluto TV. "I've got to take my hat off to these commentators.

[LONDON, ENGLAND - DECEMBER 30: Phil Taylor celebrates during his Semi Final Match against Jamie Lewis during the 2018 William Hill PDC World Darts Championships at Alexandra Palace on December 30, 2017 in London, England. (Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)]

Phil 'The Power' Taylor bowed out of the game (Image: Getty Images)

"If it were a football match, I wouldn't have a clue who's passing the ball or playing for which team! I wouldn't even know who's on whose side. It's remarkable what they do."

Taylor reflected: "Every time I present, I'm learning. I will get used to it, but it's like an apprenticeship, I think. So you've got to do your apprenticeship and learn your job. I'll keep pushing forward and learn. But I am enjoying it."

He also revealed he's feeling more at ease in his new role: "There's no pressure, obviously. I haven't got to get up and start practising and make sure I'm getting ready for night-time and all that kind of thing, so I can just relax and enjoy it."

[LONDON, ENGLAND - DECEMBER 30: Phil Taylor celebrates during his Semi Final Match against Jamie Lewis during the 2018 William Hill PDC World Darts Championships at Alexandra Palace on December 30, 2017 in London, England. (Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)]

Phil's confessed he's still finding his feet with presenting (Image: Getty Images)

Taylor also briefly competed on the World Seniors Tour before deciding to quit competitive darts for good last month, admitting he didn't want to let down fans with subpar performances.

He admitted he was initially excited about competing in the Seniors Darts, but ultimately found it tough: "I was really, really looking forward to it. Loved the idea of the Seniors Darts. Enjoyed playing in it.

But I couldn't perform like Phil Taylor could perform," he said. "So it broke my heart a little bit."

He acknowledged that his advancing age had taken a toll on his body, making it harder for him to compete at a high level: "My body had changed. I mean, I'm 65 this year. So I was in my 60s. It got harder and harder for me, and I couldn't perform. And people were paying money to come and see me."

Taylor, known for his high standards, couldn't bear the thought of not giving fans their money's worth: "It broke my heart not to perform like I can. And I thought, 'I can't do this anymore. This is not right. If I do something, I have to do it properly.' I'm a bit of a perfectionist."

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