Bobby George, the flamboyant darts icon known as the 'King of Bling', is as famous for his extraordinary personal life and home as he is for his exploits on the oche. For 38 years, he has shared his life with wife Marie, while residing in a truly one-of-a-kind 18-bedroom mansion built in the shape of a dart flight.
The King of Bling's Dart-Shaped Palace
Bobby George constructed his remarkable estate, named George Hall, in Ardleigh near Colchester back in 1995. The property is an undeniable testament to his larger-than-life personality, featuring a staggering 18 bedrooms. The 12-acre grounds are a leisure paradise, boasting not one, but three fishing lakes for the avid angler.
Inside, the home includes a pub-style entertainment area complete with a bar and snooker table. Reflecting on the ambitious build, George admitted to the BBC that he "overdid it", explaining he built it room by room starting with a bathroom, then a bedroom and kitchen, when he was 50 and "didn't have any fear".
A Home Filled with Unusual Memorabilia
The mansion also serves as a museum of George's eccentric career. Among the darts memorabilia is perhaps his most macabre trophy: one of his own toes, preserved in a vodka bottle in his bar. He had several toes amputated in 1999 due to a genetic condition and was allowed to keep one. He wrote in his autobiography, 'Still Here! The King of Bling', that visitors often don't believe him until they see the evidence for themselves.
The décor is as bold as the man himself, with rooms including a lavishly themed jungle room. However, the sheer scale of the property eventually prompted George to try to sell it in 2013 for £3.5 million. He expressed that the upkeep was becoming too much, quipping that he wanted to sell while "young-ish" and not leave "in a wheelchair".
A 38-Year Partnership Forged in Darts
George shares the unique abode with his wife, Marie. The couple met when Marie was working as a walk-on girl at Professional Darts Corporation tournaments. George claims he decided to marry her the moment they met at a charity event in London.
His first attempt at a date on Valentine's Day was rebuffed, with Marie reportedly saying she "didn't date old men". His persistence paid off, and they have now been married for 33 years, together for 38. Marie now acts as George's PA, organising everything from his clothes to his business admin. George has said he would be "lost without her" and that they make all big decisions together.
Marie's devotion is clear; her Instagram bio proudly states they have spent the "best years of our life" together. While George's days of reaching World Championship finals—he was runner-up in 1980 and 1994—may be behind him, his legacy, cemented by his unique home and enduring marriage, continues to shine as brightly as the jewellery that earned him his famous nickname.
