The Ally Pally Wasp makes its mark on another PDC World Championship

By Press Association Sport Staff

The festive season means the annual pilgrimage to Alexandra Palace for the World Darts Championship.

Thousands of fans, many dressed in fancy costumes, flock to the iconic venue to create a party atmosphere with its popularity growing every year.

But while the best players in the world are the main attraction, something else is looking to provide a sting in the tail – the renowned Ally Pally wasp!

The insect has been causing havoc at the tournament in recent years and has already had its fair share of time in the limelight in the opening days of this year’s event.

Defending champion Luke Littler was required to duck and dive to avoid the wasp during a post-match interview following his first-round win over Darius Labanauskas on Thursday.

The mischievous mood continued the following day, with Ross Smith oblivious to the insect on the back of his neck as he threw during his surprise 3-2 defeat to Andreas Harrysson.

Former world champion Rob Cross also failed to notice the wasp on his shoulder during an interview after his 3-0 triumph over Cor Dekker.

There was more tungsten trouble for the players over the weekend, with the wasp surviving after Ted Evetts flicked it off his check on his way to losing to Luke Humphries.

It then got a little too close to the action when it got hit by Nitin Kumar during his historic win over Richard Veenstra.

With Littler the favourite to retain his crown, will there be a different sting in the tail?