Prince told me he played darts ... I'll invite him to AIly Pally in fancy dress!

FALLON SHERROCK is standing in front of a giant poster of her face with a crown on her head. It is just a few weeks since the 'Queen of the Palace' AIexandra Palace, that is - came face to face with Prince William to receive an MBE.

- Matt Majendie

She has had all manner of brushes with celebrity, both in person and across social media, including messages from Billie Jean King and Sarah Jessica Parker.

Having grown accustomed to the different paths darts has taken her down since her World Championship debut in 2019, she expects all the interest to end at some point, yet there are few indicators that will happen any time soon.

"I think, 'Okay, this is it, nothing else can happen', then something else happens and then something else," she says. "Like seeing a massive poster with my face on it." Sherrock was like a breath of fresh air when she announced herself to the world, the first female player to win a match at the Worlds. She won two in quick succession, beating Ted Evetts and Mensur Suljovic, to worldwide acclaim.

And she is a whirlwind in conversation, skipping from royalty to whether she could eat unmentionable objects on I'm a Celebrity and an unexplained fear of deer.

She has qualified for the Worlds for a fourth time, drawn against Jermaine Wattimena in the first round on Sunday night.