Michael Smith: PDC world champion on being world number one & Catchphrase preparation (2024)

New PDC world champion Michael Smith reflected on a "special" night after achieving twin goals of a world title and becoming world number one.

The 32-year-old replaced Gerwyn Price at the top of the rankings after beating Michael van Gerwen 7-4 in a high-quality final at Alexandra Palace.

"Everyone wants to be the best player in the world and I managed to do both in one night," Smith told BBC Sport.

He joked: "Two birds with one stone - completed it!"

"I'm over the moon to be a world champion, everything I've worked hard for has finally come true now," he added.

One of the highlights of a sensational final was Smith's stunning nine-dart finish in the second set, in the same leg in which Dutchman Van Gerwen missed an attempt at double 12 to complete his own nine-darter.

Only Adrian Lewis, in 2011, had previously hit a nine-darter in a World Championship final.

"You don't think of it while you're playing, but when I got back to the room I watched the highlights and it looked special," said St Helens-born Smith, who also claimed the £500,000 first prize.

"You see some of the reactions on social media of the nine-darter going in, the crowd going nuts, you see Wayne Mardle going crazy in the commentary box - it was special to watch."

Speaking after his semi-final win over Germany's Gabriel Clemens on Monday, Smith told Sky Sports that he would prepare for the final against three-time world champion Van Gerwen by watching episodes of television quiz show Catchphrase in his hotel room.

Smith also went "wild in the aisles", posting a picture of himself watching Supermarket Sweep on Twitter before his third World Championship final appearance.

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"I didn't plan on putting it on," said Smith. "I was watching movies and then I put ITV2 on.

"I never turned the telly off. I kept waking up at about 8 in the morning, Catchphrase was on and then Supermarket Sweep. I just got into it and started watching every morning when I woke up."

Smith conceded he was not the best at getting the Catchphrase questions right, and asked whether he would fancy an appearance on the celebrity version of the show, he replied: "I don't want to make a fool of myself. I'd love to, but I wouldn't at the same time."

The past few months have seen Smith go from being one of the sport's nearly men to the best darts player in the world.

His ability has never been in question, but he had lost in several finals, including in two previous World Championships, before ending his long wait for a major title in November with victory at the Grand Slam of Darts in Wolverhampton.

"Finally I got the one that I needed which was the Grand Slam, that helped massively going into Tuesday night," said Smith. "I'd finally got that monkey off my back."

Cheered on by his wife and two children in London, he produced the biggest win of his career.

"They [his children] came down for the quarter-final and also the final, but they had to get off straight away because they've got school today," he told BBC Radio 5 Live on Wednesday morning.

"My eldest lad was crying his eyes out going into that last leg. Just finally, their dad's done it.

"Twelve months ago, we just cried in the back room after I'd lost 7-5 to Peter Wright, I was questioning myself whether I'd ever get another chance. I think the emotion hit him a lot more, as it did with me."

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