"I don't lose at darts" - Well-known British TV personality sets his sights on reigning world champion Luke Littler

British television personality Piers Morgan has once again caused a stir in the darts world. The outspoken presenter set his sights this week on none other than Luke 'The Nuke' Littler, the 18-year-old sensation who last weekend once again confirmed his status as a top favorite by winning the Players Championship Finals tournament in Minehead.

Littler, who became world champion in spectacular fashion last year, is ready for his title defense when the World Darts Championship kicks off next month at the iconic Alexandra Palace. The young Englishman appears to be in absolute top form: in the run-up to the World Cup, he picked up three consecutive majors, something that even seasoned names rarely manage.

Piers Morgan, who has long called himself an avid darts fan, decided to draw attention to himself via his X account (formerly Twitter). In response to a promotional video for tournament sponsor Paddy Power's new Prostate Cancer UK campaign, he donated £500 and expressed his own interest in participating in the so-called Darts of Destiny campaign.

In this campaign, donors have a chance to take the stage at 'Ally Pally' during the World Cup final and throw nine darts there. Whoever manages to score 180 points or more will receive a huge cash prize of £180,000. Morgan responded enthusiastically, writing defiantly, “I quite fancy doing this. About time @LukeTheNuke180 came up against Monsoon Morgan.”

That Piers Morgan is convinced he is a threat to the young world champion does not come out of the blue. During a Piers Morgan Uncensored broadcast in April 2024, he hosted Barry and Eddie Hearn, after which the trio engaged in a darts challenge. Morgan then proudly recounted his time playing for the Royal Oak B team in the village of Newick, East Sussex.

According to Morgan, that team was "legendary," at the time earning him the nickname "Jockey Morgan," later renamed "Monsoon Morgan. "“What they don’t know is that I played for the Royal Oak B team - darts legends, as we became - in the village of Newick in East Sussex, where we ended up beating everybody."

“And I was known as ‘Jockey’ Morgan, which I later changed to ‘Monsoon’ Morgan. And there’s a reason - I don’t lose at darts.”

Meanwhile, Luke Littler is concentrating entirely on athletic performance. The World Championship draw paired him with Lithuanian world number 95, Darius Labanauskas, in his opening match. Littler responded with satisfaction, “I’m very happy with it. He's not the quickest player, but it's all about getting past that first round. It won’t be easy."

The young defending champion emphasized that he can now handle the pressure much better than two years ago, when he surprisingly reached the final as a 16-year-old: "If there is nerves, I know how to cope with them. Last year, I didn’t have a clue how to cope with them. But this year I know what to expect, the expectations. If nerves come, I’ll know how to deal with it.”

Littler realizes that history awaits him. The last player to prolong his world title was Gary Anderson, exactly 10 years ago. “I’ve won the last three Majors now - now the big one is round the corner. I’m just looking forward to it. Gary Anderson was the last person to go back-to-back, but that was 10 years ago. So that’s what I'm looking forward to."

Although it seems unlikely that Piers Morgan will actually face Littler on stage, at least the presenter has caused a stir again. Whether 'Monsoon Morgan' has a serious chance of hitting a 180 from the World Championship stage is doubtful, but the darts world will no doubt be watching to see if his bravado is more than a media stunt.