Ladies and Gentlemen: Introducing Kent thrower Carl Wilson. Half talented exponent of tungsten. Half British TV chef with Chinese ancestry.
The 37-year-old hails from Tunbridge Wells – a place that, thanks to a decree from King Edward VII, often sticks a Royal in front of its name to inflate house prices and lure unwitting tourists – a town where celebrity chefs seemingly go to retire.
Somewhere roaming the streets you’ll find an angry Scottish-born cook who swears a lot, and a Cockney fella who has written more books on different ways to boil an egg than are ever likely to be necessary.
Onto Carl, and as always with these exclusive interviews, I wanted to find out a bit about him as a person before asking questions about his darting career and, essentially, taking the piss in between his answers.
Right then, mate. Let’s hear how the land lies. Tell the people a bit about yourself.
“Well, I live with my partner Hayley. And we are expecting what will be my first child in six weeks. It’s going to be a boy are we’re naming him Koby.”
Ah, lovely. Congratulations to you both. Probably wise to get some sleep in the bank now, mate.
Of course, I had to mention the nickname, Gok. Initially, and quite obviously, I assumed it was because he resembled the Leicester-based, self-proclaimed ‘food author’ – whatever the hell that means? That said, they call people who work in Subway ‘sandwich artists’, so I suppose it’s not quite as bad as that ridiculous job title.
As it turns out, I was half right. Carl takes up the tale:
“Funny story on that one. It dates back to when I was a teenager and came back from a holiday to Crete. I was really tanned, and I’d broken my glasses. Someone had left a pair behind the bar of my local, so I put them on and everyone started saying I looked exactly like Gok Wan. It just stuck.”
Stuck it did. Away from the oche, and fetching whatever his missus is currently craving, the Winmau chucker has a full-time job. Isn’t that right, mate?
“It is. I’ve been roofing for about 15 years. A lot of people don’t believe me when I tell them what I do for a living. Tom Lonsdale was one of them. He was saying, “No way, you’re an office bod.” I actually had to send him pictures to prove it.”
Not sure photographic evidence was really required. It’s hardly as if you’d claimed to be an astronaut who’d just returned from a six-month spell aboard the International Space Station. Being a roofer seems relatively plausible. I somehow doubt Damon Heta had to get his camera out every time someone questioned his former profession. But there you go. Horses for courses, I suppose.
Despite only being around the PDC for a couple of years – about the average length of a Justin Pipe match – Wilson has been throwing darts locally for many years.
“I started at Rusthall Club in Kent. I was playing local league darts from about 18 and then I played county darts for around fifteen years. When I was younger, county darts was everything to me.”
So I wondered what prompted the leap from pub darts to the semi-professional ranks. I guessed money might have been a factor and, for once, I was actually right.
“A friend of mine really helped me on the financial side. He gave me the push I needed. Around halfway through 2023 I realised I needed a much better B-game if I was going to compete when I wasn’t playing my best. Before that, I never really had one. My friend also financed Q-School in 2024 and that gave me the opportunity.”
Too right. Everyone needs a backup plan when they’re playing rubbish.
Looking at the stats, and knowing how good Gok is (sorry mate, the nickname’s too easy), I was a little surprised to see just one run to the last 32 on this year’s Challenge Tour, a circuit on which he has been an ever-present this season.
I asked for a little light to be shone on it. Instead, Carl went full strobe.
“Honestly, I don’t really know. Sometimes it’s concentration, sometimes it’s focus. When I get into a rhythm, I know I can play. I had a cracking victory against Nathan Potter where we both averaged around the ton mark but lost. Then given how well I was playing, surprised I didn’t go on to win that event.
“Then on the flip side, there are games where I just didn’t produce it. I’ve also lost matches where I’ve actually played well, but one poor visit at the wrong time costs you.”
I feel your pain, mate. For me it’s usually a few hundred poor visits in a night that cost me. I’m just happy to leave the pub without accidently sticking a dart in someone.
When I asked who, in his opinion, he was most surprised had never won a Tour Card, Carl didn’t need to think for very long.
“Andreas Harrysson. I’ve played him a couple of times and his finishing is on another level.”
Good player, that Swede. And a bloody good beard too. Like a Scandinavian Lewis Pryce.
We then moved on to the subject of Tour Cards. At the moment, aside from Q School, there are two available via both the Challenge Tour and Development Tour. Carl, if he owned the PDC it wouldn’t just be his daft nickname he’d change:
“On the Challenge Tour, I think the top four should qualify directly for a Tour Card. It actually came up after I made back-to-back semi-finals on there in 2024. At a Players Championship, I was sitting around a table with George Killington, Gary Anderson and Jim Williams when Killer actually told off because apparently I was making too much sense!”
Probing him further – and not seeking George Killington’s acceptance on pearls of wisdom – I asked what else he would change.
“I think if you earn a Tour Card, you can only still play the Development Tour for year one. After that, unable to play both. You need to knuckle down and focus on the ProTour.”
Harsh, some might say. But interesting.
Wilson has become quite a familiar face down at the MODUS Live Lounge, making several appearances in the Super Series, but is yet to nail that elusive weekly win. He returns next week hoping to fling that monkey firmly off his back.
“I do love it down there. During lockdown, I played loads of online darts. I was in leagues with players like Kim Huybrechts, Jermaine Wattimena and Simon Whitlock. Even though I was playing from my bedroom, it made me realise I belonged at that level.
“So the MODUS Super Series was always somewhere I really wanted to play. First time down there, I was absolutely crapping myself. Really nervous. But everyone there make you feel welcome. That week, I won Group A, one that included Neil Duff, Steve West and Darius Labanauskas. Then I went home, chilled Thursday and Friday and came back on the Saturday.”
For a worrying moment there, I thought Carl was about to burst into a Craig David song and I was moments away from hanging up. Thankfully, he showed mercy and instead told me just how close he came to picking up a weekly title.
“I lost the final of Series 13 to Radek Szaganski”
Short and sweet. The charismatic Pole who spends his days driving buses through the country lanes of County Cork.
It was at that point I asked Carl whether he felt he’d underachieved since stepping foot on the PDC circuit. I thought he had. But preferred to hear it from him:
“Definitely. When I look at how I’ve played in the Vault events and on the ADC circuit, I feel like I’ve missed a trick. I should have won more. It’s frustrating because I know the game’s there. It’s just about putting it all together.
“If I was to win a MODUS Super Series and perhaps a Challenge Tour title, it would bring out the beast in me. Because now, I am not just playing for Hayley and myself, but our son too.”
However, there is one organisation where Wilson has already tasted success, twice in fact – the ADC.
“I’ve won two events at Bradmoor Farm. I beat Jonny Haines on one which, funnily enough, we were both on 9-darters, but each missed the 141 checkout. I defeated Christian Perez in the final on the other.”
Ouch! That would have had Wayne Mardle losing his voice all over again if he’d been on commentary.
Finally, I asked Carl what his immediate targets were and what was on the horizon:
“Well I won the South East London Belt in May 2025, beating Jason Heaver, retained it against Lloyd Walker to qualify for the ADC Global Championship later this year. Then a couple of months ago, defended it again this May by beating Luke Stallwood which gives me an automatic call-up to the MODUS Super Series this season.”
Excellent. Another bite at the cherry after next week’s nibble in Pompey.
Before we signed off, given his nickname, I simply had to ask whether he could actually cook.
“No.”
Well, that told me. He may not exactly be a Gok Wan doppelganger, but ask him to rustle up a full English and you’ll probably receive exactly the same blunt answer.
All that’s left to say is a huge thank you to Carl for giving up his time. We wish him all the very best, not only next week at the Live Lounge but for the rest of the season and, of course, with his and Hayley’s impending new arrival.
Let’s just hope Amazon aren’t delivering Koby, otherwise he’ll probably end up half a mile down the road at one of the neighbours’ houses.
