Luke Littler has taken the darts world by storm in a stunning run to the final of the PDC World Championship but the dream ended as he was beaten his namesake Luke Humphries at London's Alexandra Palace.
ADVERTISEMENTIn one of the most unlikely stories in the sport's history, Luke Littler, an unseeded player from Runcorn in northwest England, reached the final of the world darts championship at the age of 16.
Yes, you read that right. A 16-year-old lad born in the year 2007. The same year the first ever iPhone was released. Shudder.
To the backdrop of chants of “You’ve got school in the morning” from boisterous crowds, Littler, who started throwing darts as a toddler, has produced back-to-back spellbinding performances on his path to the final.
On Tuesday, watched on by his adoring mother and beauty consultant girlfriend, Eloise, the charismatic Littler defeated one of his childhood idols, the fifth seeded 2018 champion Rob Cross, 6-2 to get into the title match against Luke Humphries.
Cool hand Lukes
Alas, there was drama but no dream finish on Wednesday night as Littler lost to his English compatriot Luke Humphries, the tournament favourite. After having fallen behind 4-2, Humphries, 28, reeled off five successive sets to claim the title and the €500,000 winner's cheque.
Yet in Euronews Culture's eyes there are no losers in this thrilling tale which saw a teenager get his kicks on several nights and end up collecting €200,000 for progression through the ranks and many plaudits for winning hearts and minds along the way.
So, to celebrate his incredible journey to the final, here are five things you may not know about "Luke the Nuke".
1) Little by Littler
Littler's darting journey began at the tender age of 18 months when his dad picked up a magnetic dart board from the pound shop.
A video of a pint-sized Littler in a diaper hitting multiple 20s recently went viral, and as he put it in an interview, "I was around six when I got my first 180. My first 9-dart finish came two years ago after we got back from the Isle of Man - so I would have been 13 years old."
2) Young prodigy
Littler is currently the reigning PDC World Youth Champion and the youngest player ever to win a match in both the WDF World Darts Championship and PDC World Darts Championship.
At 14, he snagged his first seniors title at the Irish Open, earning a golden ticket to the 2022 WDF World Darts Championship.
And at the 2024 PDC World Darts Championship, he not just broke records; he shattered them with a debutant average of 106.12 - the highest ever recorded for a newcomer in the tournament's history.
He's the youngest player by far to ever reach the final.
3) The secret to dart's success: Fast food
In a post-match interview, the young maestro spilled the beans on his pre-match routine: "I'll keep what I've been doing – in the morning I will have a ham and cheese omelette, then a pizza for lunch. That's what I've done every day."
And let's not forget his love affair with kebabs. After his early wins in the tournament, he treated himself to a "kebab and a Coke," much to the delight of fans online.
Kebhouze, one of the UK's biggest kebab stores, even offered him "free kebabs for life" if he clinches the world title.
The stakes (forgive the pun) have never been higher.
4) How he plans to spend his winnings
Ever wondered how a teenage dart sensation spends his prize winnings?
ADVERTISEMENTLuke spilled the tea: "I always treat myself to some Under Armour tracksuits. And just get myself a new coat and some FIFA points for my Xbox. That’s pretty much it."
He also said he'd “love to start driving” alleviating the need for his father, Anthony, who is a part-time taxi driver, to transport him to tournaments.
5) Viral sensation
Littler isn't just winning matches; he's winning hearts.
Before the tournament, he had a humble 4,000 Instagram followers; now, he's got more than 900,000. He could now potentially earn £287,352 per year from Instagram alone.
This potential annual figure is a cool 44% more than the £200,000 he took home from his run in the tournament.
ADVERTISEMENTIt's safe to say he's not just a dart sensation; he's a viral phenomenon, bringing a fresh wave of excitement to the sport.
