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Tony Green, British darts commentator and iconic Bullseye host, died at the age of 85 on March 4, after a long battle with Alzheimer's disease. The news was announced on Bullseye's social media profiles, which paid tribute to Green as a "dear friend & much-loved colleague."
Green was a former amateur darts player who moved on from playing to commentating on the sport on the BBC in 1978. He later became one of the co-hosts of ITV's Bullseye with Jim Bowen from 1982 to 1995. Bullseye was a game show that saw contestants compete for cash prizes and other gifts by incorporating darts games and quizzes into the show.
Tony Green co-hosted Bullseye from 1982 to 1995
Bullseye was a British darts-themed game show created by Andrew Wood and Norman Vaughan. The original series aired on ITV from 1981 to 1995. During its 14-year run on the network, the show was hosted by Jim Bowen and Tony Green, whose role was to keep track of the scores.
The show followed a formula of grouping an amateur darts player and a quizzer into a team, with three teams competing for prizes. The show also sported an anthropomorphic dog called Bully, who became the game's mascot.
According to Yahoo! News, the show launched Tony Green into spectacular fame, as he became a household name for his witty retorts and quirky catchphrases, including:
“Keep out of the black and into the red, nothing in this game for two in a bed.”
At its peak, the show had a viewership of 20 million people. Bullseye was cancelled in 1996, as the creator deemed the network's push to "modernize" the show would lose its initial appeal. In 2006, the show was revived for a new series, and Green was called upon to reprise his role, Sky Sports reported.
Both initial hosts of Bullseye have since passed away, after Jim Bowen died away in March 2018 at the age of 80. Paying homage to his friend, Green said:
“Lost a legend today, but most of all a friend. RIP Jim x.”
Tony Green died after battling Alzheimer's for a long time
According to The Independent, Tony Green passed away peacefully at the age of 85 after battling Alzheimer's. This news was announced by Bullseye's creator Andrew Wood on Facebook, with a statement that read:
“It’s with a very heavy heart that we announce the passing of our dear friend and much loved colleague Mr Tony Green. Tony passed away peacefully today after a long battle with Alzheimer’s. Our love, thoughts and prayers go out to all of Tony’s family, who we hold such affection for, to all of Tony's friends and those who were lucky enough to work with him."
Alongside co-hosting Bullseye, Green was also a BBC commentator on the BDO World Darts Championship from 1978 to 1994 alongside Sid Waddell, who left the BBC in 1994. Green continued to commentate for the BBC until 2016. In 2015, Tony Green was also the narrator and commentator for the BBC's Let's Play Darts for Comic Relief, Yahoo! News reported.
It is unclear how long Green battled Alzheimer's. However, he reportedly took a break from his career for an unrelated medical issue after he was diagnosed with tongue cancer in 2010.
