THIS darts icon was once so skint he drained a RADIATOR to make a Pot Noodle.
But he’s now rubbing shoulders with the best players in the world after a stunning performance at the UK Open.
Richie Burnett, 56, reached the quarter-finals of the prestigious tournament over the weekend, knocking out top darts star Peter Wright.
His previous best effort came in 2007 when he reached the last 16.
And Burnett did himself proud despite narrowly missing out on the semis with defeat to Dimitri van den Bergh.
However, life hasn’t all been rosy for the self-styled “Prince of Wales.”
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Reflecting on a dark period in his life, Burnett admits he had so little money he could not afford a kettle for boiled water.
And after buying a Pot Noodle for supper, the oche slinger was forced to drain a radiator to heat up his grub.
Burnett once told the Mirror: “When times were hard and I had no money, I was in Wigan for a tournament and bought myself a Pot Noodle for my tea.
“But I didn’t have a kettle to boil water for it. The only thing I could do was drain the radiator in my room and use the hot water from that.
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“It was all soily and brown but it worked and the Pot Noodle went down OK. But I’d used a pair of nail scissors to open up the valve and it wouldn’t shut again, so hot brown water was leaking out.
“All I could do was put a tray underneath to catch it all. I didn’t get much sleep because I had to get up every hour to tip the water down the sink.”
Speaking after his win against Wright on Saturday, Burnett also revealed he was making up for lost time after blowing through “three fortunes" – despite only earning two.
He said: “I’m a tough old cookie. I love this game – I really do. Peter’s at the top of his game so it’s a big win for me.
“I haven’t been in that situation for a while but experience got me through in the end. I’ve been an idiot over the years.
“I’ve really underachieved. I’m just making up for lost time. I’ve earned two fortunes and spent three.”
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