History-making darts player Fallon Sherrock has been made an MBE in the King’s Birthday Honours list.
Sherrock, who comes from Milton Keynes, became the first woman to win a match at the PDC World Championship in 2019, beating Ted Evetts and Mensur Suljovic on her way to the third round at Alexandra Palace, earning the nickname ‘Queen of the Palace’.
Two years later she became the first woman in darts history to reach the quarter-finals of a major tournament as she again beat Suljovic en route to the last eight of the Grand Slam of Darts.
The 28-year-old said on pdc.tv: “To have received this level of recognition for my contribution to the game I love is beyond my wildest dreams. I never considered that I would ever receive such an esteemed honour and I am beyond grateful.
“I have been fortunate to hear of the widespread impact that my success has had in getting more people watching and playing darts, and particularly in inspiring girls and young women to take up darts and other sports. That makes me incredibly proud and excited.
“I am looking forward to visiting Buckingham Palace to receive this honour, which I regard as a reflection of the enormous popularity of darts and as a symbol hope and possibility for aspiring darts players and sportswomen across the country.”
Her ground-breaking exploits have carried on as she won the inaugural Women’s World Matchplay in Blackpool last year and then in March became the first woman to throw a nine-dart finish at a PDC event.
That success at the oche has helped her become a household name, appearing on several TV shows as a celebrity guest.
But her success in the men’s game has come at a cost after she revealed how hard life on the women’s tour had become for her.
She spoke of being made to feel uncomfortable among her female opponents and receiving “hate”.
In an interview with the PA news agency, she said: “I could be the best person in the world and I still get hate or I could do everything wrong and still get it. I am at a point now where I am like, ‘If you are going to hate me, hate me’.
“I am not going to beat around the bush, I even get it with players now and I genuinely don’t care anymore. I am at a point where I don’t care what anyone does or says to me.”