Sky Sports was again forced to mute darts fans at the World Grand Prix on Saturday night after offensive chants about Prime Minister Keir Starmer broke out during the semi-finals.
The broadcaster replaced the live crowd audio with artificial crowd noise as a section of supporters began singing X-rated songs aimed at the Labour leader during Luke Humphries’ clash with Danny Noppert in Leicester.
It marked the second time this week that Sky has had to take action to censor chants at the tournament.
During Humphries’ 2-0 victory over Noppert, the chants could be heard to the tune of Seven Nation Army by The White Stripes. “Keir Starmer’s a w****r” echoed around the Morningside Arena as the match reached its midpoint.
The incident took place during the semi-final that Luke Humphries won
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When Humphries hit a bullseye to seal the second set, the noise appeared to fade suddenly, replaced by a more subdued crowd sound.
Viewers quickly noticed the change, with Sky seemingly overlaying generic audience audio to cover the offensive language.
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The same measure had been used earlier in the week during Stephen Bunting’s quarter-final match, when fans also aimed chants at the Prime Minister.
A Sky Sports spokesman declined to comment on the incident but confirmed previously that the broadcaster does not tolerate “offensive or discriminatory language” being aired live.
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Keir Starmer has been targeted by darts fans at the World Grand Prix
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The Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) is understood to be aware of the repeated crowd issues but has not yet issued a formal statement.
Crowd chanting is part of the lively culture surrounding darts, with favourites such as “stand up if you love the darts” and the famous Kolo and Yaya Touré song often ringing out during matches. However, the political and personal nature of recent chants has drawn criticism, with calls for stricter stewarding inside venues.
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The latest incidents come amid a sharp decline in public support for the Prime Minister and his government. According to the latest Ipsos poll, Labour has slipped behind Reform UK by 12 points, while both Sir Keir and Chancellor Rachel Reeves have recorded their lowest-ever satisfaction ratings since taking office in July last year.
Clips of the chants quickly circulated online, prompting divided reactions. Some social media users defended the crowd’s right to express political dissatisfaction, while others condemned the tone of the abuse.
Luke Humphries and Luke Humphries will face off in the World Grand Prix final
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Tommy Robinson shared a video of the chanting on his X account, amplifying its reach. Robinson recently organised the “Unite the Kingdom” rally in London, which drew an estimated 150,000 protesters.
The incident adds another layer of controversy to what has otherwise been a thrilling World Grand Prix, which has featured standout performances from Luke Littler and Humphries as the tournament heads toward Sunday’s final.