PDC President Barry Hearn has revealed that he underwent successful prostate surgery on the eve of the World Darts Championship after being motivated by The BIG 180 campaign.
Paddy Power founded the charitable initiative last year with the aim of encouraging thousands of men to use a quick 30-second online risk checker, along with donating £1,000 to Prostate Cancer UK for every 180 scored at the iconic Alexandra Palace tournament.
Hearn, 76, revealed the campaign at the 2023/25 World Darts Championship had given him the 'nudge' needed to check his own risk.
"I got myself checked, and two months ago I had a prostate operation, which has been 100% successful," Hearn said.
"I'm quite health conscious, but that was a nudge I needed. It was the nudge that all men need.
"What does it cost? It don't cost anything. Why wouldn't you? Are you stupid? Do you want to die?
"It's stupidity not to do something. And we don't want to be stupid.
"Sometimes we're busy doing other things. But that was a nudge I needed, just to follow up and say, Do you know what? Got a little problem there? Let's get it sorted."
Hearn is now sharing his experience to encourage other men to stop making excuses and take Prostate Cancer UK's easy-to-use risk checker, which takes just 30 seconds to complete.
"As you can see, I still look wonderful!" he added. "The message is simple – don't wait, don't ignore the signs. Get checked, it could save your life."
For the 2024/25 World Darts Championship, Paddy Power have turbo-charged The BIG 180 campaign into The BIGGER 180, and are calling for 180,000 men to check their risk during the tournament, along with pledging a £180,000 bonus for every nine-darter thrown during the tournament.
As part of THE BIGGER 180 campaign, the £180,000 cash will be split evenly, with Prostate Cancer UK, the player who throws the perfect leg, and a lucky fan in the crowd at Ally Pally - as seen when Christian Kist achieved a nine-dart in round one!
Laura Kirby, Chief Executive of Prostate Cancer UK, said: "With over half a million pounds raised so far and incredible awareness too, we're thrilled at the success of The BIGGER 180 campaign and are hugely grateful to Paddy Power, the PDC and the players for their brilliant efforts bringing it to life.
"We're also proud that this life changing campaign has reached the very top of the PDC and thank Barry Hearn for being so open about his health issues, triggered by completing the Prostate Cancer UK online risk checker.
"It's all about knowing the numbers when playing darts, but not enough people are aware of the harsh statistics about prostate health. 1 in 8 men will be affected by prostate cancer, so it's vital that every man knows his risk.
"It's incredible to see more than 85,000 people have now completed our simple online risk checker, and more than 75 per cent of those are high risk. So, there's little doubt that we are making a huge impact via the darts community."
Dutchman Christian Kist was the first player to trigger the nine-dart bonus against Madars Razma in the opening week of the World Dart Championship, meaning he landed a £60k cheque, with the same amount going to Prostate Cancer UK and a delighted supporter watching on - lucky Kris from Sutton!
All proceeds from The BIGGER 180 campaign will support the TRANSFORM Trial, a pioneering study tackling the limitations of current screening methods.
The trial aims to create earlier, more accurate detection methods, saving thousands of lives by ensuring men catch the disease before it’s too late.
* Checking your risk is quick and easy to do. It takes just 30 seconds via https://prostatecanceruk.org/180-risk