He’s the 16-year-old boy who took the darts world by storm and now Luke Littler is about to make history as he prepares to face Luke Humphries in the final of the PDC World Darts Championship.

Littler was a huge unknown before his debut at this year’s tournament, but he has now become the player everyone is talking about after seeing off the likes of Brendan Dolan, Rob Cross and his own childhood hero Raymond van Barneveld to secure his place at the end and in the bank. . minimum of £200,000 in prizes.

World number one Humphries is now the only thing standing in his way – teenager Runcorn is just one win away from becoming the youngest world darts champion in history.

But as with any big sports story, there’s always a bit of controversy and Littler has also had to deal with some unwanted attention. Here you will find everything you need to know.

girlfriend dispute

Littler has become a household name in recent days, meaning her personal relationships have come under scrutiny as fans want to know more about the teen sensation.

The darts ace has now revealed his new girlfriend, Eloise Milburn, 21, who he has been dating for six weeks. The couple reportedly met while playing FIFA on Xbox and since then beauty consultant Eloise, who also plays darts, has been seen supporting her new beau at Alexandra Palace.

But after details of their relationship emerged, Eloise was criticized by fans who expressed concern over the five-year age gap between her and 16-year-old Littler. Some even claimed she was with the teenager for money after he won a minimum of £200,000 in prize money at the tournament.

However, before the final, Eloise’s mother, Amanda Milburn, defended the couple’s age gap and criticized the “despicable” abuse her daughter suffered at the hands of online trolls, calling the comments “total lies.”

“A lot of horrible things have been posted online about my daughter and my husband, Phil, and I am very angry about it,” she said. Daily Mail: “She’s not with him for any of those reasons. She doesn’t care about his money or fame, she’s with him because she likes him. It is so easy.

“It really hurts when we read these comments, many of them from so-called darts fans. My daughter is none of the things these vile people are posting. “She is a beautiful young woman in a new relationship and people should leave her.” “They continued the case.”

“Real age” admission.

Littler let his darts do the talking, defeating former world champions and some of his childhood heroes, but he already made a name for himself within minutes of his Alley Pally debut.

During his first round match against Chris Keast, the teenager had fans wondering if he was really just 16, with many suggesting he was actually much older. With his large build, thick beard and incredible darts skills, viewers and viewers at home have speculated that he is at least 10 to 15 years older than he claims, with one fan writing on social media that “He looks like he is in his 30s and 4 years. He is divorced and drives a beat-up Vauxhall Insignia.

Former Soccer AM presenter Andy Goldstein was one of those shocked by Littler’s appearance, admitting during an interview with the teenager on his Talksport radio show that he had made a bet with a colleague about his “real age”. . However, the 16-year-old responded perfectly.

“Did you make a bet?” he asked Goldstein. “You lost your money there because I’m 16.” Then he added: “I would say [I’ve had the beard] “It’s been two good years.”

If more proof were needed, a copy of Littler’s birth certificate also appeared online before the finale, and TalkTV posted a photo of the document with the caption: “Proof that he really is a prodigy.” He reveals that he was born at Warrington Hospitals NHS Trust in North Cheshire on January 21, 2007, making him almost 17 years old.

A supportive family

It may be him, but Littler’s success is largely down to the support his family has given him over the years, with his parents Anthony and Lisa always at games to support him.

They nurtured his talent when Littler was still a small child, buying him a proper set of darts at the age of four and taking him to practice in the pubs of Cheshire, ten years before he could drink from them.

Speaking to the BBC, Littler explained: “At the age of four I learned to study well. From 18 months onwards I was continuous. When we moved to Warrington, when I was eight or nine, we started going to pubs. “Four or five times a week.”

The 16-year-old’s strong bond with his mother was evident during the World Championships when he was seen crying as he hugged her after defeating Matt Campbell in the third round.

“I started crying when I saw my mother in the crowd,” she said. “She was nervous. I saw her with her head in her hands. I told him, “The dream continues.” “She said the same thing.”

Younger sister Caitlin is another superfan family member and regularly documents her brother’s progress on her social media pages and shares words of encouragement for the teen. He has 1,600 followers on Instagram and another 25,000 on TikTok.

After Littler won the Modus Super Series in August, Caitlin wrote: “Honey he did it again! I’ve never been so proud of someone, what a night! You keep surprising us every day, we all love you so much, keep rocking.”