Wayne Mardle makes low-key return to Sky Sports for first time since death of his wife Donna as he commentates on Premier League Darts

Wayne Mardle made a return to Sky Sports’ darts coverage on Thursday for the opening night of the BetMGM Premier League.

Mardle, who is one of the most popular commentators and pundits in the sport, missed the whole of the PDC World Darts Championship due to compassionate leave following the death of his wife Donna.

On the opening night of the tournament at Alexandra Palace, Sky Sports presenter Emma Paton revealed the tragic news of the passing of Donna, who was only 52, following a short illness.

Several players were left devastated, with Michael van Gerwen breaking down in tears when speaking about Donna following his second round match, while Luke Humphries said he had reached out to Mardle. 

‘I’ve spoken to him, yeah,’ Humphries explained. ‘What he’s told me, I won’t repeat – that’s his business. 

‘But I heard that he might be coming back to do some commentary. I think he’s coping but, yeah, everyone knows that when you lose a loved one, it’s really tough, isn’t it?’

But on Thursday, Mardle was back behind the microphone for Michael van Gerwen‘s quarter-final clash against Luke Littler in Belfast.

It was welcome news for fans, with Mardle, who played the game from 1993 to 2011, having been the main voice of Sky Sports’ coverage of darts in recent years. 

Van Gerwen went onto beat Littler 6-5 in Belfast, with the Dutchman getting revenge for his defeat in the World Championship final. 

And, after the game, Mardle took to social media to share his delight at returning to commentary.

Posting on X, the 51-year-old simply said: ‘I needed that!’, with a love heart emoji, and fans were quick to pour in with supportive comments welcoming him back.

Mardle’s move into analysing the sport came following a successful darts career where he was known for his floral shirts which gave him his ‘Hawaii 501’ nickname.

The 51-year-old reached five semi-finals at the World Championship and featured in the Premier League on four occasions. 

Mardle is often remembered for his commentary of the sport’s greatest leg, two years ago, when Michael Smith hit a nine-dart finish in the World Championship final against Michael van Gerwen, who missed a double 12 on his own attempt at perfection.

Mardle had exclaimed: ‘One man misses, does the other man get? I have never seen the like. Come on Bully Boy. Yes! Double 12…That is the most amazing leg of darts you will ever see in your life. I can’t speak, I can’t speak.’

Meanwhile, when an emotional Paton announced the news of Donna’s passing in December, she had said: ‘Wayne is the heart and soul of everything we do here at Sky Sports Darts, but the heart of his world, his wonderful wife Donna, sadly passed away earlier this week after a short illness.

‘We will be remembering Donna throughout this tournament. Wayne, you are in our thoughts, in our hearts, we love you very much and we will see you very soon.’