Michael van Gerwen undergoes dramatic body transformation ahead of World Darts Championship
Three-time darts world champion Michael van Gerwen made it to last year’s final and is set to debut a new look as he goes in search for another Ally Pally title
11:51, 12 Dec 2025
Michael van Gerwen is set to cut a very different figure at this year’s World Darts Championship(Image: PA)
Darts dynamo Michael van Gerwen will cut a very different look when he steps up to the oche at this year’s World Darts Championship.
The Dutchman is due to begin his bid for a fourth world title this month and faces Mitsuhiko Tatsunami in the first round of the competition next Thursday. And he’ll do so looking considerably lighter after Van Gerwen revealed he’s lost “more than 20 kilos” over the past year.
The darts icon confirmed in June that he was divorcing from wife Daphne Govers after a decade of marriage, while his father is undergoing cancer treatment. Van Gerwen, 36, is looking to put any personal problems to one side in the coming weeks as he targets a fourth PDC World Championship.
Content cannot be displayed without consent
And he recently opened up about his weight loss journey to date, indicating there’s still work to be done. “I’ve lost more than 20 kilos and we’re not there yet,” said ‘MVG’ during a recent appearance on the Darts Draait Door podcast. “I still need to drop about 10.
“Part of it comes from living and moving consciously, but part was due to stress. In a long relationship you fall into a rut where you don’t put yourself first. Now I do, and that matters.”
Despite the transformation, Van Gerwen explained he’s still no fan of the gym. Instead, he’s used the padel court to get his cardio in and explained how that form of exercise suits him best.
Watch the World Darts Championship on Sky Sports
This article contains affiliate links, we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it. Learn more
£35
Sky
Get Sky Sports here
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.
“I find the gym mind-numbing,” he continued. “On the padel court you meet people, it’s fun and it keeps me active. A lesson now and then, that suits me. I need to work on myself a bit, that’s only sensible.”
It need not be a serious process, either. And Van Gerwen acknowledged as much when close friend and fellow PDC player Vincent van der Voort noted sponsor Winmau is struggling to keep up with Van Gerwen’s changing size.
Van Gerwen, who issued a stark warning to Luke Littler ahead of his Ally Pally return next week, responded: “I’m not going to throw in pajamas, am I? And I don’t have a six-pack either, I’m no Brad Pitt.”
‘MVG’ has looked considerably lighter in recent months(Image: PA)
Van der Voort went on to comment not all the weight loss was intentional. And he appeared alongside his companion to share his view on his compatriot’s metamorphosis.
“At first he lost weight quickly because of stress,” said ‘The Dutch Destroyer’. “He would just not eat all day, also because he didn’t feel hungry. Then it goes fast.”
Van Gerwen has been spotted sporting a more svelte frame at recent competitions. The PDC superstar has reached two major finals in 2025, losing to Luke Littler in the last World Championship final before getting his revenge at the World Series of Darts decider in September.
Littler Returns: World Darts Championship Preview 2026
Celebrate the festive season with this special edition previewing the World Darts Championship. Luke Littler became the youngest player to lift the title last year, and the teen is back to defend his crown at a sold-out Ally Pally – although he will be hunted down by rival Luke Humphries.
We hear from both players in a bumper preview which includes features on most of the leading contenders, interviews with Wayne Mardle, Emma Paton, John Part and Polly James, a look at the unknowns who will be in action plus an oche-full of other great content. Buy here
Van Gerwen also beat compatriot Gian van Veen to clinch the German Darts Grand Prix in April.
However, the impact of his personal distractions became evident when he was forced to withdraw from a string of Players Championship events, failing to qualify for the Finals for the first time in his career as a result.
Having achieved so much at such an early stage of his career, it’s easy to forget the darts icon has plenty of years left in the tank should he wish to continue competing. And fans are hoping to see the Ally Pally favourite back to his best in London this month.
