Deta Hedman

Deta Hedman (born 14 November 1959) is an English and Jamaican darts player who competes both in World Darts Federation (WDF) and Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) events and previously competed in British Darts Organisation (BDO) events. She is the reigning WDF women's world champion, having won the 2025 WDF World Championship. She is a two-time World Masters and Finder Masters champion and a three-time Dutch Open champion. She is also a three-time BDO World Championship finalist.

Hedman began playing BDO events in 1987 and reached her first BDO women’s major final at the World Masters in 1990. She won the event in both 1994 and 2013.

Early life Hedman was born in Jamaica in 1959. Her parents emigrated to the United Kingdom in the early 1960s, leaving Hedman and her siblings in the care of relatives in Jamaica. She spent her childhood with her aunt in Castleton in a shack without running water or electricity, going to school from Monday to Thursday and working on the farm on Fridays.

Hedman returned to darts in 2002 with the Professional Darts Corporation. She qualified for the UK Open in 2004, and more famously in 2005, when she defeated Aaron Turner and Norman Fletcher before losing to Wayne Atwood in the last 64. Her win over Turner was the first time that a female darts player had beaten a male player in a televised major.

Due to work commitments, Hedman retired again in 2007 but returned to the BDO in 2009.

Hedman also competed in the first PDC Women's World Darts Championship in 2010, but lost to Fiona Carmichael in the quarter-finals.

At the 2011 BDO World Darts Championship, Hedman defeated Belgium's Patricia De Peuter 2–1 in the quarter-finals before being whitewashed 2–0 by Rhian Edwards in the semi-finals.

Hedman's best run at the BDO World Darts Championship came in 2012, where she beat Rhian Edwards and Lorraine Farlam to reach the final. In the final, she led Anastasia Dobromyslova by a set and threw for the championship, but was broken and ultimately lost 2–1. This was equalled by her 2016 run where she lost in the final to Trina Gulliver.

Despite being ranked No.1 for the 2013 BDO World Darts Championship Hedman was knocked out in the first round 0–2 by Lisa Ashton. The following season, Hedman won 14 titles and once again reached the world final, but lost once again this time from 2–0 in sets and 2–1 in legs having yet again thrown for the title. Hedman eventually lost the final 3–2 to Lisa Ashton despite having a checkout percentage over 75%.

Hedman reached the final of the 2016 BDO World Darts Championship but was beaten by Trina Gulliver who won her 10th title.

She competed at 2020 PDC Q-School but failed to gain a PDC Tour Card. In October 2020, the PDC held the inaugural Women's Series, a set of 4 events with 2 qualifying spots for the 2021 PDC World Darts Championship. She tied with Fallon Sherrock on the Order of Merit, however Hedman won beating Sherrock 85–83 on legs won, meaning Hedman would make her debut in the 2021 PDC World Darts Championship. She lost 3–1 to Andy Boulton in the first round.

At the 2025 WDF World Darts Championship, Hedman competed in her fourth women's world final and won her first world title, defeating Lerena Rietbergen 4–1 in the final.

Awards Hedman was on the list of the BBC's 100 Women announced on 23 November 2020.

In June 2025, Hedman was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2025 Birthday Honours for services to darts and charity.

Personal life

Hedman's brother Rudi was a professional footballer who played for Colchester United and Crystal Palace. Her other brother, Al, was a professional darts player and former 1995 BDO British Open Champion. Her nephew Graham is a 400-metre runner.

In a post on Facebook in December 2023, Hedman voiced support for banning transgender players from playing in women's events. During the WDF Denmark Women's Open in May 2024, she withdrew in the quarter-finals against transgender player Noa-Lynn van Leuven, leading to speculation that she withdrew from the tournament in protest. Speaking to Deutsche Welle, Hedman cited issues relating to skeletal difference and menstrual cycles as justification for her stance. In October 2025, Hedman forfeited her quarter-final match against Van Leuven in event 22 of the 2025 PDC Women's Series.

World Championship results

PDC World Championship 2010 (women's): Quarter-finals (lost to Fiona Carmichael 2–4) 2021: First round (lost to Andy Boulton 1–3)

BDO World Championship 2010: Semi-finals (lost to Trina Gulliver 0–2) 2011: Semi-finals (lost to Rhian Edwards 0–2) 2012: Runner-up (lost to Anastasia Dobromyslova 1–2) 2013: Quarter-finals (lost to Lisa Ashton 0–2) 2014: Runner-up (lost to Lisa Ashton 2–3) 2015: First round (lost to Lisa Ashton 1–2) 2016: Runner-up (lost to Trina Gulliver 2–3) 2017: First round (lost to Casey Gallagher 1–2) 2018: Semi-finals (lost to Lisa Ashton 0–2) 2019: First round (lost to Maria O'Brien 0–2) 2020: First round (lost to Laura Turner 0–2)

WDF World Championship 2022: Second round (lost to Tori Kewish 0-2) 2023: Quarter-finals (lost to Rhian O'Sullivan 0–2) 2024: Semi-finals (lost to Beau Greaves 0–3) 2025: Winner (beat Lerena Rietbergen 4–1)

World Seniors Championship 2022: First round (lost to Peter Manley 1–3) 2024: First round (lost to Martin Adams 2–3)

The 2010 PDC World Championship was scored in legs but all the other scores were sets.

Performance timeline Deta Hedman's performance timeline is as follows:

BDO Tournament 1990 1994 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020BDO Ranked televised events NH World MastersNH NHNH

WDF Tournament 2022 2023 2024 2025WDF Major/platinum events World MastersNH

Titles

WDF titles WDF World Cup Singles: 2013 Doubles (4): 1995 (with Mandy Solomons), 2011, 2013 (each with Trina Gulliver), 2023 (with Beau Greaves) Teams (2): 2015 (with Lisa Ashton, Fallon Sherrock and Claire Brookin), 2019 (with Lorraine Winstanley, Sherrock and Maria O'Brien) Overall standings (6): 1995, 2011, 2013, 2015, 2019, 2023 WDF Europe Cup Singles: 1994 Doubles (4): 1994 (with Tammy Montgomery), 1996 (with Mandy Solomons), 2018 (with Maria O'Brien), 2022 (with Beau Greaves) Teams: (4) 2014 (with Lisa Ashton, Lorraine Winstanley and Trina Gulliver), 2016 (with Winstanley, Gulliver and Fallon Sherrock), 2018 (with Winstanley, Sherrock and Maria O'Brien), 2022 (with Winstanley, Claire Brookin and Greaves) Overall standings (6): 1994, 1996, 2014, 2016, 2018, 2022 Platinum tournaments (majors) Dutch Open (3): 2010, 2017, 2018 German Open (4): 2011, 2012, 2013, 2017 German Masters (3): 2014, 2015, 2017 WDF World Darts Championship: 2025

Gold Tournaments (Category 1) Denmark Open (7): 1994, 1995, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2022, 2026 Northern Ireland Open: (4) 2010 2, 2013 2, 2015, 2016 Police Masters (6): 2011, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2019 Polish Open (6): 2011, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2018 England Open (3): 2013, 2016, 2021 Hal Masters: 2015 Las Vegas Open (2): 2025, 2026 Toronto Area Open (2): 2025, 2026 Silver Tournaments (Category 2) Swiss Open (7): 1989, 1991, 1992, 1996, 2012 3, 2016, 2019 Antwerp Open (5): 1993, 2010, 2015, 2017 1, 2023 French Open (5): 1994, 1995, 2014 3, 2016, 2019 Scottish Open (7): 1995, 1997, 2012 1, 2013, 2015, 2022, 2023 England Classic: (4) 2010, 2012, 2013, 2024 Czech Open (3): 2011, 2013, 2021 Denmark Masters: 2014, 2016, 2018, 2021 Hungarian Masters (3): 2016, 2019, 2021 Romanian Classic (2): 2018, 2024 Irish Classic: 2021 Las Vegas Classic: 2026 Romanian Open (3): 2020, 2024, 2026 Toronto Area Classic (2): 2025, 2026

Bronze Tournaments (Category 3) Finnish Open (5): 1989, 1991, 1992, 1996, 2010 Swedish Open (5): 1990, 1991, 1992, 1995, 2010 Luxembourg Open (3): 2015 2, 2016, 2018 Hungarian Classic: (4) 2016, 2017, 2019, 2021 Italian Grand Masters: 2017 Malta Open (2): 2017, 2018 Isle of Man Masters: 2025 England Selsey Open: 2026

Other Isle of Man Open (6): 1990, 1991, 1992, 1996, 2011, 2017 Norway Open (2): 1992, 1994 Berlin Open (2): 1993, 1994 Australian Grand Masters: 1994 Jersey Festival of Darts: 1994 Pacific Masters: 1994 Granite City Open (6): 2009, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2017 Sunpark's Masters (2): 2009, 2011 Turkish Classic (2): 2009, 2015 England Masters (3): 2010 2, 2016, 2017 Mariflex Open (3): 2010, 2012, 2013 Vantaa Sunday Singles 2010 Greenpoint Masters: 2011 Poznan Open: 2011 Welsh Classic: 2013 Hal Open: 2014 Munsterland Trophy: 2014 Scottish Classic: 2015 Isle of Man Classic: 2016 Jersey Classic (2): 2016, 2017 Masters of Waregem: 2016 Antwerp Masters: 2017 Belgium Masters: 2017 Bruges Open: 2017 Helvetia Open: 2017 Vizcaya Open: 2017 Welsh Masters: 2017 Welsh Open (7): 1993, 1994, 2011, 2012, 2016, 2018, 2026 Luxembourg Masters: 2018 French Open: 2019 West Fries Masters: 2019