Luke Littler: How darts’ new star handles huge demand on and off the oche

Luke Littler: How darts’ new star handles huge demand on and off the oche

Luke Littler was one of the celebrities tasked with revealing the running total – hitting a bullseye to do so – during the annual Comic Relief fundraiser on the BBC

Imagine sharing stages or sofas with Sir Lenny Henry, David Tennant, Davina McCall, Millie Bobby Brown, Raye, Jonathan Ross and Matt Lucas.

It would take most entertainers years to check off such a list on their showbiz rounds – teenage darts sensation Luke Littler did it in a week.

The youngest ever PDC World Championship finalist is flying on the oche – and his profile is soaring off it.

“It’s just been crazy – since the World Championships, it’s changed my life,” the 17-year-old said.

So how is the youngster, who has earned more than £350,000 in prize money in the past three months, handling such a rapid rise into the spotlight?

Littler’s manager is Martin Foulds, whose ZXF Sports Management firm also looks after other top players including World Matchplay champion Nathan Aspinall.

Foulds believes Littler’s amazing ascent is unparalleled – and says interest in the teenager is non-stop.

“It’s just another level, completely alien to anything that has happened in the darting world,” Foulds said.

The 40-year-old estimates he receives “20 to 40 emails, phone calls, messages, minimum” about Littler every day from commercial or media organisations.

“I probably spend 70% of my working day dealing with Luke-related enquiries – calls, messages, Zooms, Teams meetings, media requirements,” Foulds added.

Littler has even had to put on hold the driving lessons he was desperate to begin taking when he turned 17, so tough is it to find time in his schedule.

Already in 2024, Littler has flown to Bahrain, the Netherlands, Germany and Belgium as well as playing each week in the Premier League and other PDC tournaments across the UK.

Media caption,

Darts sensation Luke ‘The Nuke’ Littler says he hopes he can inspire more youngsters

But Foulds insists his schedule is being managed carefully to avoid any chance of burnout.

Littler was one of several top players to withdraw from a recent tournament in Germany, a call made easier by the fact he’s already lifted two ranking titles.

“It’s given him such an advantage [winning those events] – he’s pretty much in every TV event for the rest of the year without throwing another dart,” Foulds said.

“There’s no off-season in darts. You’ve got to travel to these events – you don’t just time-warp and you’re in Belfast, Graz, Munich, Rotterdam.

“It’s unsustainable for any player to travel and play all of those events. When you’re playing in the Premier League especially, travelling can take its toll on anybody.

“He’s still a teenager, still 17 – if he wasn’t playing darts, he’s be doing an apprenticeship or still be in school. So there are duties of care we have to follow to look after Luke as best as we can.”

Not that it’s easy to tear him away from the game.

“The other day he had to come in, do some paperwork, some shirt signings – he’s sat in my meeting room and he’s got two phones on with two different streams of the Players Championship,” Foulds said, laughing.

“He’s not at the darts but he’s still watching it – he just loves the game.”

Ascending to the top of the darts world within just months is one thing – Littler has been training, practising, honing his skills since he was a toddler with that end goal.

Adapting to becoming a household name in the blink of an eye, and taking it all in his stride, is perhaps even more impressive.

In the space of a week, he’s appeared on Comic Relief on BBC One, the Jonathan Ross Show on ITV, and Fantasy Football League with Matt Lucas on Sky.

“It’s clearly unprecedented,” PDC chief executive Matt Porter told BBC Sport.

“But it’s been really encouraging how professionally and maturely he’s dealt with the scenarios put in front of him.

“He’s taken to it like a duck to water. You feel like he’s been there for a long time, he’s composed, he’s calm, he enjoys himself.