Darts icon 'overdid it' with 18-bedroom mansion

Bobby George was known for his flamboyant walk-on displays ahead of darts matches

Darts icon Bobby George admitted he "overdid it" by building 18 bedrooms inside his Essex mansion.

The self-styled King of Bling constructed his dream house in Ardleigh, near Colchester, during the 1990s.

Complete with three fishing lakes, a bar and 12 acres (4.85ha) of land, he crowned the estate George Hall.

Referencing the extensive bedroom offering, George joked: "My poor wife has got to clean them all."

The 79-year-old was one of the first big names to emerge from darts in the 1980s, known for his flamboyant entrances and love of gold jewellery.

He revealed 28 rooms were included in the initial blueprints for his property, something planners branded "over the top".

Carrying a candelabra was one of George's favourite party tricks

"I overdid it with the bedrooms, to be honest," said George, who designed the home when he was 50 years old.

"But I was younger and I didn't have any fear."

The arrow-thrower regularly made headlines during his playing days, becoming a fan favourite at the oche.

He returned to the limelight in June after revealing he kept one of his toes in a jar of vodka at home.

Since 1999, he has had four amputations due to a genetic condition.

"I put one in the jar behind my bar just for fun, and I always say 'Do you want a cocktail or a cock-toe?'," George said.

A sign advertising George Hall proudly hangs near its entrance

The closest the dartsman came to a World Championship title was in 1994, when he was runner-up to John Part.

While building the mansion he now lives in with his wife Marie, George learned how to weld and install granite floors.

The couple lived in a portable building in the garden while the ambitious project was ongoing.

"I built a bathroom first so we could use a bathroom, then a bedroom and a kitchen," explained George, who released his book Still Here: The King of Bling in June.

"I finished them and then I finished room after room after room."

George was happy to show BBC Essex presenter Sonia Watson his amputated toe

But, the TV pundit admitted he could have toned it down with the bedrooms.

"I made a few mistakes when I done this: I had too many bedrooms from kick-off," George said.

"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."