Gemma Hayter, 32, took an eight-year break from the oche and became a lab technician fearing the women’s game lacked opportunity
Gemma Hayter is set to make her Ally Pally debut
A woman darts star who quit the sport to work in a laboratory hopes to win the World Championship’s first ever £1m prize.
Gemma Hayter, 32, took an eight-year break from the oche and became a lab technician fearing the women’s game lacked opportunity. But after seeing her old pal Luke Humphries – who she played alongside at youth level – become world champion and the No1 player on the planet she decided to make a comeback.
She qualified for this year’s tournament and will make her Ally Pally debut on Friday. Gemma, from Portsmouth, said her comeback had been a ‘rollercoaster’.
Gemma Hayter was inspired by Luke Littler and Luke Humphries
She walked away from the sport in 2016 feeling like she was ‘wasting a lot of money and not getting a lot back’.
Since Luke’s world title ‘inspired’ her return she has won two Professional Darts Corporation Women’s Series titles which earned her a debut at the Women’s World Matchplay.
She booked her place at Ally Pally after finishing 5th in the 2025 Women’s Series order of Merit.
“I’ve got to have fun. I don’t know when I’m going to be there again,” she said. “I’ve just got to try and soak it up and hopefully I play well.”
She is one of five women competing at the championships which has an expanded field of 128 players – up from 96 last year. The winner will take home a record £1m of a £5m prize pot.
Gemma couldn’t have been handed many tougher Ally Pally debuts as she takes on Northern Ireland World Cup winner and world No.11 Josh Rock in the afternoon session on Friday.
Rocky is among one of the strong contenders to go all the way at the Worlds after reaching the World Matchplay and UK Open semi-final this year.
