Stephen Bunting said he has been left "hurt" after his son was the victim of online abuse.

World number four Bunting, 40, was knocked out of the 2026 PDC World Darts Championship on Saturday with a dramatic 4-3 loss to world number 63 James Hurrell.

Bunting's son, 13, was in attendance at Alexandra Palace and was shown regularly on television cameras passionately supporting his father during his dramatic loss in seven sets.

Posting on X for the first time since Saturday's exit, Bunting said the abuse his son has received has been "hurtful" for the whole family.

"Hi guys. Sorry I've had a few days away from my socials but I just needed a small bit of time after my game to recover and rest," Bunting posted.

"I love my family so much and they give me massive motivation to continue this journey. I still believe I have a lot to give darts over the rest of my career and I want to make them forever proud.

"They see the negative comments and do their best to make sure I don't see them - and even [my son] has had some hate from some of the trolls online, which really is hurtful for us as a family.

"[He] is one of the nicest kids you could wish to meet and I'll be doing a lot more social stuff with him this coming year."

Stephen's son regularly appears alongside his father at events on and off the oche, including Bunting's social media pages.

The Bullet's defeat to Hurrell could cost him an automatic qualification spot for the 2026 Premier League Darts campaign, with Bunting likely to drop outside the world's top four following his early tournament exit.