“Everything he does will be under the microscope. But he seems to handle it all so effortlessly" - Luke Littler praised for mature handling of media attention

Over the past twelve months, Luke Littler has rapidly become the most talked-about name on the darts circuit. ‘The Nuke’ made headlines earlier this year by becoming the youngest World Darts Champion in history, and with that success has come widespread fame. Littler is now in high demand — from advertising campaigns to TV appearances and much more.

Naturally, with fame comes attention of all kinds — including from the tabloids. Last week, the British press suggested that Littler may be more than just friends with Faith Millar, a British beauty therapist. However, the teenager has been quick to quash the rumours, insisting they are simply good friends.

The subject came up on the Dutch darts podcast Darts Draait Door, where comparisons were drawn to the football world, notably the once heavily publicised relationship between Rafael van der Vaart and Sylvie Meis. “They had Sylvie Meis, now we have Luke Littler,” said podcast host Damian Vlottes with a chuckle.

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Former professional player Vincent van der Voort didn’t hold back when asked about the media circus. “Let’s not talk about Sylvie Meis — I think that’s dreadful. It’s all fake. Come on, man. I’ve never seen anyone decorate a Christmas tree in high heels and a power suit.”

“Do you think that was staged?” Vlottes asked, prompting a knowing, cynical smile from Van der Voort. “Well, what do you think? It’s ridiculous. She probably doesn’t even realise it herself anymore. Honestly, stuff like that doesn’t deserve any attention.”

Still, both men expect the tabloids to follow Littler closely in the years to come. “Everything he does will be under the microscope. But he seems to handle it all so effortlessly. You see him in the practice room — nothing seems to bother him. He’s casually throwing darts, not even trying, then walks on stage and averages 112. It’s unreal. Everything looks so easy for him. Massive respect to the lad.”

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