Sky Sports darts host Emma Paton says she has her work cut out keeping Wayne Mardle and Co in check.
The 29-year-old has become one of the most recognisable faces of the sport in recent years since taking over from Dave Clark as Sky's main presenter. She's built up an entertaining on-screen rapport with not only Mardle, but also fellow pundits Mark Webster and John Part.
They'll be back at Ally Pally as the Paddy Power World Darts Championship gets underway this evening (December 15) – and Paton is in for another three weeks of overseeing her colleagues, which is no easy task.
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Speaking to the Online Darts YouTube channel, she said: "You've seen it, it's not easy. I wouldn't say [it's like] a mum but it's like guys, come on, come on.
"Because what you see on camera is a seriously watered down version of what you see off camera basically and it is hard to keep them in check. You've been with them in the media room and the press room, it's not easy."
Paton credits the trio with helping her fill the boots of Clark, who retired in 2020 having continued broadcasting for a number of years following his Parkinson's diagnosis.
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Following in his footsteps was a tall order. "Nerves? Are you kidding me," Paton admitted. "I was speaking about this to someone the other day.
"I actually think I maybe would have had less nerves going into football or something but because it was darts, it was more niche you would say.
"And there's such a fanbase, you know what darts Twitter can be like. I think the people made it. Clarkey had stepped down, Rod [Studd] wasn't around for a while as well because he was ill.
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"These were two of the huge kind of characters in the Sky Sports darts team walking in there. And obviously now Wayne's my best friend, he doesn't think that but I think that.
"[I'm] friends with like Webbey, John, [they were] super welcoming and the perfect team around me kind of thing. That helped for sure."
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