WAYNE MARDLE has confirmed he will make his debut on ITV’s coverage of the Winmau World Masters next weekend as he makes his long-awaited return to social media.
The popular darts pundit known as ‘Hawaii 501,’ had stepped away from X for several months but resurfaced this week, much to the delight of fans – and quickly dropped a major bombshell.
Mardle, 52, revealed he will be part of ITV’s broadcast team for the World Masters, which gets underway next Friday at Arena MK in Milton Keynes.
Coverage will be fronted by Pete Graves, the Sky Sports presenter who will act as lead anchor for the tournament as the top 24 players and qualifiers join the field.
Mardle, a familiar face across darts coverage for more than a decade, had taken a break from the platform earlier this year but answered several fan questions after his return.
When asked ‘Will you be working at ITV for the Masters?’ His response was: “I will be. I’m looking forward to it.”
His appearance on ITV is not expected to be a permanent switch, however, with the broadcaster now operating a broader, rotating team rather than a fixed line-up.
In previous years, presenters such as Jacqui Oatley, Chris Mason and Alan Warriner-Little featured at virtually every ITV darts event.
Now, figures like Mardle, Gabbie Partington and Graves are expected to slot in when schedules allow.
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Mardle will continue working with Sky Sports alongside Glen Durrant, Mark Webster and Dan Dawson.
Away from broadcasting, Mardle lifted the lid on his World Masters thoughts – and made it clear he will not be backing Danny Noppert this time around.
The Dutchman let him down earlier this year in Saudi Arabia, crashing out in the first round to Man Lok Leung.
Mardle joked: “I’ve not studied the draw yet. He’s a hard man to back against. After Tipping Noppert to win in Saudi I’m a little fragile. Ha.”
He was also asked about whether Luke Littler is the best scorer the sport has ever seen – and delivered a surprise verdict.
He wrote: “No. In my opinion Adrian Lewis was different level.”
With teenage sensation Littler still just 18, the debate is far from over.
What is certain, however, is that fans will be seeing plenty more of ‘Hawaii 501’ again – both on screen and online.
And his return to the ITV fold for the World Masters marks another big chapter in his broadcasting career.
