Mervyn King will make a welcome return to the World Championship stage after a difficult few years on and off the oche
Mark Whiley Sports Reporter
08:00, 12 Dec 2025
Mervyn King was declared bankrupt earlier this year(Image: Linnea Rheborg, Getty Images)
Mervyn King is set for a timely return to the World Darts Championship just months after being declared bankrupt.
The 59-year-old, who will face fellow veteran Ian White in the first round at Alexandra Palace on Friday, was a major figure in darts during the 2000s. He reached the final of two BDO World Championships and won the 2004 World Masters.
After transitioning to the PDC, he made it to the semi-finals of both the World Championship and the World Matchplay before falling on hard times on and off the oche. During the pandemic, King took up a job as an Amazon delivery driver to help keep his head above water.
However, after losing his PDC Tour card a year ago, he was confronted with a tax bill exceeding £500,000, leading to his insolvency declaration at the High Court of Justice in London earlier this year.
King and his wife, Tracey, were left fearing financial ruin and prospect of losing their home. Speaking to The Sun, King said: “Tracey is worried that we’re going to lose the house. But if we do, we do. There’s nothing I can do about that.
King faces Ian White in round one(Image: Alex Pantling, Getty Images)
“It’s all down to the official receiver and what he wants to do. I’ll have to deal with him fairly and honestly.
“So anything he wants to know, he can have. I made the move to contact them. I knew this was coming. It was better than them finding me and saying, ‘Excuse us Mr King, why haven’t you paid tax for 20 years?
“Because I think I’d have been straight inside. Now it’s all going to be cleared one way or another – whether I lose everything and the house goes. If it does, then at least it’s back to square one and I’ll start again.”
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The PDC World Darts Championship gets underway on December 11 and fans can watch every match exclusively live with Sky’s Essential TV and Sky Sports bundle.
‘The King’ is looking forward to a much-needed financial boost after qualifying for the World Championship for the first time in three years, thanks to finishing fourth on the second-tier Challenge Tour.
With the substantial increase in prize money for the 2025/26 tournament, even first-round losers will walk away with £15,000. Should King triumph over White, he stands to earn a minimum of £25,000.
Keen to prevent others from making the same tax-related errors he did, King said: “It’s trying to help others so they don’t end up in this position. It’s not a place to be, trust me. I wouldn’t wish this on anybody.
King has had some tough times since his last World Championship appearance(Image: Ben Hoskins, Getty Images)
“I want to hopefully try to help any up-and-coming youngsters so they don’t end up in the same predicament as I did. If I can help one youngster, then it’s worth doing.
“My message is: Don’t do what I did. Don’t hide your head in the sand when you realise you’re in a bit of a slump with HMRC.
“For want of a better word, I was quite naive when it came to tax. Believe it or not, I actually thought with it being winnings, I didn’t have to pay tax on it, because it wasn’t earnings as such.”
