Latest news with #WinterGardens
The Herald Scotland
20 hours ago
- Sport
- The Herald Scotland
James Wade holds off Gian van Veen to reach Matchplay semi-finals
After winning eight consecutive legs to lead 9-4, the 42-year-old Englishman had to withstand a Van Veen fightback before crossing the finishing line. James Wade reaches a TENTH Semi-Final at the Betfred World Matchplay… He just LOVES it in Blackpool 😍 — PDC Darts (@OfficialPDC) July 24, 2025 'I thought I'd thrown it away,' Wade told Sky Sports after reaching his 10th Matchplay semi-final. 'He was quite weak early on in the game, I just thought I'd pummel him now and I couldn't do it. 'Towards the end he was coming back and it was God's gift to me (winning), not my ability. That is for sure. 'I was disgusted (with the start) but he didn't make the most of his opportunities. I'm just so happy now, I'm buzzing. 'I was so nervous, it was awful. I was tight and anxious and I don't need to be because I can play darts.' There was a 19-year age gap between the pair, with Wade having made his made his television debut at the 2003 BDO World Championship eight months after Van Veen was born. But it was the experienced Wade who began nervously in missing his first 11 darts at a double – the same number as his total of missed doubles in 28 legs in beating Joe Cullen and Wessel Nijman – and Van Veen capitalised in the opening mini-session. The Machine looked bemused at his malfunctioning on the big stage, but the first break did him a power of good. WADE INTO THE LAST FOUR! James Wade does it again on the Winter Gardens stage! The 2007 champion defeats Gian van Veen 16-13 to reach his TENTH World Matchplay semi-final! 📺 #MatchplayDarts | QF — PDC Darts (@OfficialPDC) July 24, 2025 Wade rattled off the next eight legs with his heavy scoring putting the 2024 world youth champion under enormous pressure. Van Veen recovered from that assault to trade legs, but breaking rather than holding was what was required from his perspective and Wade kept him at bay. The Dutchman finally broke to get within two legs at 13-11 and had two darts at double 16 to move to within one. But Van Veen slipped wide of the wire and Wade held on for another marvellous Blackpool memory 18 years on from capturing the title. Clayton crushes Bunting! 🏴 What a performance from Jonny Clayton, who dispatches Stephen Bunting to book his place in the last four! 📺 #MatchplayDarts | QF — PDC Darts (@OfficialPDC) July 24, 2025 Jonny Clayton will meet Wade in Saturday's semi-final after a comfortable 16-7 victory over Stephen Bunting. The Ferret was out of the traps fast to whitewash Bunting 5-0 in the first mini-session, averaging over 110 and decorating his domination with a 160 checkout in the third leg. Welshman Clayton never looked back and coasted home. 'Stephen didn't play his best game but I kept him under pressure and I played well,' said Clayton, the 2023 Matchplay finalist, after recording two 11-dart legs. 'I didn't expect to be 5-0 ahead, but I knew I had to attack and I'm so pleased to get over that finish line.'
The Herald Scotland
a day ago
- Sport
- The Herald Scotland
James Wade holds off Gian van Veen to reach Matchplay quarter-finals
After winning eight consecutive legs to lead 9-4, the 42-year-old Englishman had to withstand a Van Veen fightback before crossing the finishing line. James Wade reaches a TENTH Semi-Final at the Betfred World Matchplay… He just LOVES it in Blackpool 😍 — PDC Darts (@OfficialPDC) July 24, 2025 'I thought I'd thrown it away,' Wade told Sky Sports after reaching his 10th Matchplay semi-final. 'He was quite weak early on in the game, I just thought I'd pummel him now and I couldn't do it. 'Towards the end he was coming back and it was God's gift to me (winning), not my ability. That is for sure. 'I was disgusted (with the start) but he didn't make the most of his opportunities. I'm just so happy now, I'm buzzing. 'I was so nervous, it was awful. I was tight and anxious and I don't need to be because I can play darts.' There was a 19-year age gap between the pair, with Wade having made his made his television debut at the 2003 BDO World Championship eight months after Van Veen was born. But it was the experienced Wade who began nervously in missing his first 11 darts at a double – the same number as his total of missed doubles in 28 legs in beating Joe Cullen and Wessel Nijman – and Van Veen capitalised in the opening mini-session. The Machine looked bemused at his malfunctioning on the big stage, but the first break did him a power of good. WADE INTO THE LAST FOUR! James Wade does it again on the Winter Gardens stage! The 2007 champion defeats Gian van Veen 16-13 to reach his TENTH World Matchplay semi-final! 📺 #MatchplayDarts | QF — PDC Darts (@OfficialPDC) July 24, 2025 Wade rattled off the next eight legs with his heavy scoring putting the 2024 world youth champion under enormous pressure. Van Veen recovered from that assault to trade legs, but breaking rather than holding was what was required from his perspective and Wade kept him at bay. The Dutchman finally broke to get within two legs at 13-11 and had two darts at double 16 to move to within one. But Van Veen slipped wide of the wire and Wade held on for another marvellous Blackpool memory 18 years on from capturing the title.
The Independent
a day ago
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Why TV dance star made last-minute withdrawal from live show
Janette Manrara, a former Strictly Come Dancing professional, was forced to pull out of a live performance of the musical Chicago on Wednesday, 23 July. Manrara is currently starring as Roxie Hart in the UK tour of Chicago, which is performing at Blackpool's Winter Gardens. She announced on Instagram that she was "unwell" and needed to rest to recover quickly, expressing deep apologies to the audience. Manrara reassured fans that she is "on the mend" and hopes to return to the stage soon, praising the rest of the cast for their performance. Since leaving her professional dancing role on Strictly in 2021, Manrara has co-presented the spin-off show It Takes Two.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Strictly star pulls out of live show just hours before going on stage after becoming ‘unwell'
Strictly star pulls out of live show just hours before going on stage after becoming 'unwell' Strictly Come Dancing professional Janette Manrara was forced to pull out of a live show on Wednesday just hours before she was due on stage. Manrara, who competed as a professional dancer on Strictly from 2013 until 2020, is currently starring in a UK tour of the musical Chicago, where she plays the character Roxie Hart. At the time of writing, the production is in the middle of six nights at Blackpool's Winter Gardens. However, Manrara was forced to pull out of Wednesday's show (23 July) as she was too 'unwell' to perform. In a statement shared on Instagram, the 41-year-old wrote: 'It takes a lot for me to miss a show, so to anyone coming to Blackpool tonight, I am deeply sorry. ADVERTISEMENT 'I am unwell and must rest to recover quickly and be back on stage. The cast is absolutely phenomenal, so the show will be as magical as it always is.' Manrara ended the message by clarifying that she is 'on the mend' and hopes to be back on stage soon. Janette Manrara's statement on Instagram (Janette Manrara/Instagram) Manrara quit being a professional dancer in 2021 and now co-presents the Strictly talk show It Takes Two with Fleur East. She married fellow Strictly professional Aljaž Škorjanec in 2017. Their daughter, Lyra, was born in July 2023. The professional dancers met in 2010 while performing in the live dance show Burn the Floor, and they wed seven years later. They starred alongside one another on the BBC's ballroom dancing competition for many years before Manrara stepped down to take her presenting role. After a two-year hiatus, Škorjanec returned to Strictly for the 2024 edition of the show, where he was partnered with Love Island star Tasha Ghouri. ADVERTISEMENT While Manrara said she enjoyed seeing her husband perform on the series, she insisted that she would remain impartial in her job as the presenter of Strictly's official companion show. Janette Manrara and Aljaž Škorjanec (Getty Images) 'It is incredible to see him back on the show, but I'll be honest, I am not allowed favourites as host of It Takes Two, so I'm going to be looking at him the same way as I look at any other professional and celebrity on the show,' she told The One Show in September 2024. Manrara also reflected on watching the show with their daughter, saying in an emotional moment: 'I tell you it was really nice to watch him with Lyra. I had tears in my eyes because it was just so special to sit with our daughter, watching Daddy on the telly doing what he loves to do. It was amazing.'
Daily Record
a day ago
- Sport
- Daily Record
Gerwyn Price shows trues colours in Luke Littler darts debate as he sends clear message
Welsh star looking for Blackpool glory and is not interested in one debate as he outlines his end-of-year ranking aim Pumped-up Gerwyn Price has delivered a don't care message as he bids for Blackpool glory. The Iceman faces Josh Rock in a mouth-watering last-eight tie at the Betfred World Matchplay. Price's Monday bust-up with Daryl Gurney and his outstanding performances have made him a headline act at this year's Winter Gardens showpiece. The Welshman is deemed the biggest threat to World champ Luke Littler 's chances of winning the crown with strong debate over whether, right now, he is the best player in darts. Price, though, has no interest in such discussions and said: 'I'm getting back to my best. I don't care about best player in the world. "I just want to play as well as I can and get some ranking points under my belt and get back into the top four, maybe World No.1 after the World Championship. "There's a lot of points on offer. So I'm just looking forward to the rest of the year and playing well. Provisionally I'm world number seven. "If I win this, I go up to world number four. Off the back of the year that I had last year, I mean, I never thought that was going to be possible when I was outside the top 16, scraping to get back in. "It goes to show if you have a decent year, then you can get right back up. 'The longer the format, the more confident I feel and the more belief I have in my game because sometimes the cream does rise, but there's so many good players in this tournament and they probably say the same. They prefer the longer format, so it's going to be some tough battles if I want to lift this trophy. 'I'm confident in my own game. It just gives me the self-belief and gives me a good boost of confidence, but yes, I don't care about the rest.' Price was blistering in his demolition of Chris Dobey in the last 16 and said: 'In the middle part of that game. I don't think you can get any better. "If I'm banging in 180, 180 back to back, you definitely can't get any better. So yes, I was right up there with my A-plus game in the middle part of that game. "I was decent at the beginning and slipped off towards the end, probably trying to just get over the winning line. But yes, I think that's my A-game. I've got a little bit more on the tank, I think, in patches, but the middle part of the game, it was probably my best. 'I have played better than that before. I can remember the Grand Slam final against Peter Wright. When I won, I think I was averaging 114, 115 for most of the game. But that's right up there, maybe close second, third behind that. I don't know, but it was a good game for me. 'If I play like that in the next round, I've got a really good chance. And if I play like that all the way through, then there's no reason why I can't [win it]. But there's so many players left in this tournament that can do that as well. It's going to be tough, but I think I've got a good chance.'
