Alan Warriner has criticized ITV for allegedly dismissing him from their darts coverage team without prior notice, despite him announcing his departure earlier. The former darts player claimed to have found out about his removal after ITV released their lineup for the 2026 season through a social media video by the PDC.
The video unveiled the new team for ITV’s darting coverage for the upcoming season, with Pete Graves and Gabbie Partington set to handle presenting duties. Notably absent from the announcement were Mark Webster and Wayne Mardle, who will provide punditry, while Warriner’s name and image were missing.
Expressing his disappointment, Warriner took to social media to express his discontent with ITV, stating, “It would have been nice and professional after 20 years of service with ITV to at least be informed that I have been excluded.” A darts enthusiast pointed out Warriner’s previous farewell post from November 2025, where he thanked ITV for 18 years of collaboration in a sport he loves.
In a separate development, the PDC secured a three-year deal with ITV in October, guaranteeing free-to-air coverage of major darts tournaments until at least 2028. ITV will broadcast prominent events like the World Masters, the UK Open, and the Players Championship Finals. Alongside the mentioned presenters and pundits, Mark Wilson and Dan Dawson will provide commentary, and Glen Durrant will offer expert analysis.
Graves and Durrant expressed excitement about their roles in the new ITV team for PDC coverage, with upcoming events including the World Masters and the Minehead UK Open. The partnership aims to deliver comprehensive coverage of the World Series of Darts international events to a wider audience.