Darts legend Phil Taylor has revealed that he no longer eats ‘chips or potatoes’ after discovering his Mongolian heritage.
The Power, a 16-time world champion, retired from the professional game in 2018 after losing his final World Championship final against Rob Cross.
He did however continue to play in exhibition games and at senior level until as recently as this summer, when he officially put his darts down for good after for more than four decades at the oche.
In his retirement, the 65-year-old has focused on improving his diet and fitness after suffering a number of injuries in recent years. Taylor even underwent blood tests in order to ‘eat to his blood type’.
And it was during those tests that the darts star discovered that he actually has Mongolian blood, prompting a very peculiar change in his eating habits.
Taylor told Metro: ‘So my blood group is a funny blood group, mine comes from Mongolia. It must have been when the Mongolians took over the world, so I’ve got their blood group.
Phil Taylor announced his retirement from all forms of darts earlier this year
The Power has spent his retirement trying to improve his diet and lifestyle. Here, he’s pictured enjoying a smoothie on holiday
‘So if I eat rice, in Chinese food, I get no stomach problems at all. But if I eat chips and potatoes, bread, it kills my stomach and gives me heartburn.
‘I take my own cooking stuff to hotels, I take my own mattress topper, I take my own pillow, and I got all this off different sports people.’
Opening up further on his new-found healthy lifestyle, Taylor added: ‘I’m trying to keep fit a bit more now. I had a new hip and the surgeon, he said, “Phil, I’m going to tell you something now. Keep your legs strong because when you’re in your 60s, anybody in their 60s, if they fall and break their hip, you’re in trouble.”
‘So I do cycling and then I’m with one of my best mates Bobbie Goulding. He texts me every morning! He played rugby for Wigan, St Helens, England. He’s in his 50s and he’s fit as a fiddle. He’s getting me into weights now so I built a gym.’
Taylor had complained of a hip problem back in 2023, while he was 63 years old and still playing on the seniors tour.
Then ranked seventh on the World Senior Darts Tour, the veteran admitted his struggles with arthritis left him unable ‘to turn right’.
‘I’m doing everything that I can,’ he told Darts Online. ‘Because I have arthritis in my hip, I cannot turn right, so I’m not throwing straight.
‘It’s a nightmare. It’s seven days a week and 24 hours a day. Even if you turn over in bed at night, you’re in pain.’
The Englishman has cut chips and potatoes out of his diet after learning of his Mongolian blood
Taylor’s the most successful player in the history of darts, winning 16 world titles
Taylor is the most decorated player in the history of darts having won a record 85 major titles, notably winning six Premier League Darts titles as well as 16 World Matchplay championships.
Following his official retirement from all forms of the sport earlier this year, the legend said in an emotional statement: ‘After a long and fantastic career over the last 40 years, I announce that from today I am retiring from playing darts.
‘It has been a privilege to be part of such a vibrant and passionate community. I would like to thank each and everyone for your support through this incredible journey. Your encouragement and enthusiasm have been the driving force behind my success.
‘A journey which has enabled me to achieve more than I could have ever imagined. As one chapter closes, another one opens. This transition opens up new opportunities for me to explore and engage with the sport in different ways.
‘I look forward to meeting fans old and new around the country and I will continue to update the website with future announcements. Please stay tuned for upcoming events, appearances, and projects that I am excited to undertake.
‘Thank you once again for all the wonderful memories.’
Taylor won the last of his 16 world titles against Michael van Gerwen in 2013. He beat the Dutchman – who had long been tipped to be his successor – 7-4. He lost the final after that in both 2015 and 2018.
