Darts legend Bobby George, the ‘King of Bling’, lives in an extraordinary 18-bedroom mansion he built himself, which is shaped like a dart flight and features three fishing lakes and a pub
Darts icon Bobby George resides in an incredible 18-bedroom mansion he built himself more than 30 years ago.
Known for his flamboyant personality and love of glitzy jewellery, earning him the nickname ‘King of Bling’, now 80-year-old George was a vibrant figure in the sport throughout the late 1970s, 80s and 90s. He reached the BDO World Championship final twice, in 1980 and 1994, but unfortunately fell short on both occasions.
However, he did secure the prestigious News of the World title in both 1979 and 1986. And his success on the exhibition darts circuit brought him considerable wealth, allowing him to build a very impressive home. He named the property George Hall, located in Ardleigh, near Colchester.
Reflecting George’s larger-than-life persona, the house is truly unique. It’s impossible to miss from an aerial view as it’s designed in the shape of a dart flight.
The 18 bedrooms are actually 10 less than George originally intended. He had to scale back his plans after being advised that a 28-bedroom house would be considered “over the top”, reports the Mirror.
The grand estate also features a pub-style entertainment area, complete with a bar and snooker table. The expansive 12-acre grounds house not one, but three fishing lakes, offering plenty of choice for the keen fisherman.
In a previous interview with the BBC, George admitted he may have gone a bit overboard when planning the house. Now aged 80, he reflected: “I overdid it with the bedrooms, to be honest. But I was younger [50], and I didn’t have any fear.
“I built a bathroom first so we could use a bathroom, then a bedroom and a kitchen. I finished them and then I finished room after room after room.”
The estate houses an impressive array of darts memorabilia, including one of his own toes, several of which were surgically removed in 1999 due to a hereditary condition.
While three of the digits were disposed of through medical channels, he was permitted to retain one, which now rests preserved in a vodka bottle within his bar area.
In his memoir, ‘Still Here! The King of Bling’, he penned: “Nobody believes me, or at least they don’t, until they see me without my socks on. Or if they come to my bar in George Hall and see the evidence for themselves.
“There’s some sort of gene in my body that has caused the toes to pop out of their socket and cross over. It got so bad that I couldn’t get my shoes on.
“I couldn’t walk without checking my balance each step. It was so painful on some days that if I’d had a sharp enough knife I would have chopped them off myself. There was nothing that the medical profession could do, so it became ‘Operation Toot-Toot-Tootsie.”
George, who lives with his wife and manager Marie, with whom he has two sons, admitted he could have toned it down with the bedrooms.
He said: “I made a few mistakes when I done this: I had too many bedrooms from kick-off.
“My poor wife has got to clean them all. I say ‘Leave it, it doesn’t matter, we don’t go in the rooms, who cares? Let the spiders have it’. But she doesn’t want that to happen… so she’s got a lot of work.”
Back in 2023, the then 77-year-old shared pics and a video of him doing some DIY including a spot of plastering as he worked on the porch of the property.
He wrote: “Day job maintaining the kingdom of Bobby George!”
A response from darts professional Paul Nicholson said: “Some boy! Still got it. All of it.” A fan then said: “Bobby is like myself… old school.. if it’s broken fixed it yourself.”