Latest Alexandra Palace hero Justin Hood has hinted that he may be about to achieve his dream of opening up a Chinese restaurant after booking his place in the quarter-final. The Somerset darts player has hit stardom at this year’s World Darts Championships, netting £100,000 following his win over Josh Rock to progress into the last-eight.

It was a record-breaking afternoon session for the world number 86 after he became the first player to hit 11 consecutive doubles without missing, firing his way to a 4-0 win over the Northern Irishman. In achieving his place in the last-16, where he will face Gary Anderson, he can now afford to open up his own Chinese restaurant.

The 32-year-old was a 1,000/1 shot in the pre-tournament odds and has already overcome Nick Kenny, sixth-seed Danny Noppert, Ryan Meikle and Rock to be within two wins of the final, but first, he must overcome the obstacle on New Year’s Day. Hood has now hit newfound fame after quitting his job as a hotel porter to focus on his darting dream and only qualified for the Q School, where players compete for a tour card, at the beginning of this year.

But for ‘Happy Feet’, opening a Chinese has been his dream, having channelled his love for the cuisine and initially joked that he’d splash the record-breaking £1million prize money on his own eatery if he wins. But what was once a dream can now become a reality. 

“Yes and no,” he said when asked if the money he’s guaranteed at Ally Pally is life-changing. “I don’t live above my means. It’s nice to have it in the bank, but I just get up there to throw darts. The money’s a massive bonus — I want that trophy now. 

“No timeline yet. You’ve got to pay double. We’ll look into it after the Worlds. Half price? Get in. Every game’s unknown for me. I’ll go back, probably have a Chinese — maybe two or three. But seriously, I’ll treat it the same as every other game: practise, eat good food, and get ready.”

In his debut World Championships, now-world number one Luke Littler gathered the affection of the public for his love of kebabs. Then 16, it became a running joke that the Warrington-born darts sensation would be off to enjoy the dish after stealing the headlines during the 2024 edition of the tournament, where he eventually lost in the final to Luke Humphries.

Before his fourth-round masterclass over Rocky, Hood had joked that his love of the food could put him out of business within a week. He said: “I haven’t looked into it (the finances) properly yet.

“We might be out of business in a week, the amount of food I eat. I wanted to stay in London over Christmas because the Chinese around here are top-notch. I love eating it all the time.”

Following Anderson’s 4-1 win over Van Gerwen, Hood will take on the former world champion on New Year’s Day in search of a place in the semi-final.