Bobby George - Career

Career

George only took up darts at the age of 30, but quickly improved, winning the first tournament he entered, and then making his first appearance at the World Masters less than a year later. He has won several tournaments around the world, including the prestigious News of the World Championship in 1979 and 1986, the Butlins Grand Masters in 1979 and 1980, and the Nations Cup in 1980, as part of an England triples team with Tony Brown and John Lowe. George's News of the World victory in 1979 came without dropping a single leg, the only player to do so.

George has reached the final of the World Professional Darts Championship twice. In his first final in 1980 he lost to Eric Bristow. Suffering with a broken back, George reached his second world final in 1994. In the semi-final he came from behind to beat Sweden's Magnus Caris 5-4 having trailed 4-1. Competing against doctor's advice he went on to lose the final against John Part 6-0.

Since 1998 George has been a co-presenter and pundit on the BBC darts coverage, primarily of the BDO World Championship. He has also made several other television appearances, not all relating to darts. In 2004 he starred in the British comedy film One Man and His Dog and later he followed in the footsteps of fellow professional darts player Andy Fordham by taking part in the ITV programme Celebrity Fit Club. In 2006, he appeared in a regular segment of Brainiac: Science Abuse series 4, in which he played darts in order to explode caravans. He was also a team captain in Showbiz Darts again alongside Fordham. In 2010 Bobby performed Run DMC's 'walk this way' on Lets Dance for Sport Relief with Tony O'Shea, Willie Thorne, and Dennis Taylor.

His colourful character has enabled George to also be successful on the darts exhibition circuit. He became the games first full time exhibition player when he stopped playing regular tournaments in 1986. In 2009 he teamed up with Bristow and John Lowe to tour theatres around the UK and Ireland, appearing in a show named Legends of the Oche which was presented and hosted by comedian Duncan Norvelle. He also appeared in a 2009 episode of BBC's Cash in the Attic

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