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Deta Hedman (born 14 November 1959) is an English darts player who competes in World Darts Federation (WDF) events. She is a two-time World Masters and Finder Masters winner, and a three-time Dutch Open champion. She was also a three-time runner-up at the BDO World Championship, and was the runner-up at the 2016 BDO World Trophy.
Hedman returned to darts in 2002 with the Professional Darts Corporation. She qualified for the UK Open in 2004, and more famously in 2005, when she defeated Aaron Turner and Norman Fletcher before losing to Wayne Atwood in the last 64. Her win over Turner was the first time that a female darts player had beaten a male player in a televised major.
Due to work commitments, Hedman retired again in 2007 but returned to the BDO in 2009. After winning numerous open titles in 2009, she qualified for the BDO Women's World Championship for the first time in 2010. She defeated Irina Armstrong 2–0 in the quarter-finals, but was beaten 2–0 by eventual champion Trina Gulliver in the semi-finals. Hedman won the 2010 BDO Classic tournament beating Karen Lawman 3-2 in the final.
Hedman also competed in the first PDC Women's World Darts Championship in 2010, but lost to Fiona Carmichael in the quarter-finals.
At the 2011 BDO World Darts Championship, Hedman defeated Belgium's Patricia De Peuter 2–1 in the quarter-finals before being whitewashed 2–0 by Rhian Edwards in the semi-finals.
Hedman's best run at the BDO World Darts Championship came in 2012, where she beat Rhian Edwards and Lorraine Farlam to reach the final. In the final, she led Anastasia Dobromyslova by a set and threw for the championship, but was broken and ultimately lost 2–1. This was equalled by her 2016 run where she lost in the final to Trina Gulliver.
Despite being ranked No.1 for the 2013 BDO World Darts Championship Hedman was knocked out in the first round 0–2 by Lisa Ashton. The following season, Hedman won 14 titles and once again reached the world final, but lost once again this time from 2–0 in sets and 2–1 in legs having yet again thrown for the title. Hedman eventually lost the final 3–2 to Lisa Ashton despite having a checkout percentage over 75%.
Hedman reached the final of the 2016 BDO World Darts Championship but was beaten by Trina Gulliver who won her 10th title.
She competed at 2020 PDC Q-School but failed to gain a PDC Tour Card. In October 2020, the PDC held the inaugural Women's Series, a set of 4 events with 2 qualifying spots for the 2021 PDC World Darts Championship. She tied with Fallon Sherrock on the Order of Merit, however Hedman won beating Sherrock 85–83 on legs won, meaning Hedman would make her debut in the 2021 PDC World Darts Championship. She lost 3–1 to Andy Boulton in the first round.
In a post on Facebook in December 2023, Hedman voiced support for banning transgender players from playing in women's events. During the WDF Denmark Women's Open in May 2024, she withdrew in the quarter-finals against transgender player Noa-Lynn van Leuven, leading to speculation that she withdrew from the tournament in protest. As reported by the New York Post, Hedman pushed back on reports she pulled out of the match due to an illness and also declined compensation she may have lost due to her decision. “No fake illness I said I wouldn’t play a man in a ladies event,” Hedman wrote on X.
In June 2025, Hedman was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2025 Birthday Honours for services to darts and charity.
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