"I have a couple of bad months and suddenly it’s, 'Oh, he’s a has-been'" - Luke Humphries shrugs off criticism as he unlocks missing piece in darting game

Luke Humphries left it late but finally confirmed qualification for finals night in the Premier League Darts. He sealed a first nightly win in this campaign in Birmingham with him starting to find his best level at a crucial time. After numerous criticism and doubts casted over him, Humphries has proven to still have what it takes to compete with the best now finally pinning his doubles on a more regular basis.

There was an overwhelming sense of relief surrounding the reigning champion after confirming his spot. "Probably relieved. It’s been strange for me because the form has kind of been there, then not there, then there again. Over the last three weeks, the performances have definitely been there, but I just couldn’t get over the line," he told Online Darts.

"It’s been a strange period, but I’ve also been able to see a different version of myself. It’s always nice when you qualify after the 13th or 14th week because it shows a bit of character. You’re in the nitty-gritty and you still manage to qualify."

There was an immense feeling of pride after scraping through the hard way. "I’m really proud of myself. The last three weeks I’ve accumulated 11 points, so I’ve done really well and probably should have won last week too. I’ve shown a lot of grit and determination to push myself and give myself an opportunity tonight to qualify — and I did it in one go. It’s quite crazy really. Five weeks ago I was five points away from qualifying and six points behind fourth place, and now I’ve qualified. I didn’t expect that."

Enroute to the final, he thrashed Stephen Bunting 6-0 while averaging over 107. He then defeated Luke Littler 6-3, winning six consecutive legs while averaging almost 111. He got the job done against Gerwyn Price in the final with a 6-4 scoreline, cementing qualification.

That Littler match was especially impressive, coming back from 3-0 down against the world number one. "I just took it one game at a time. I knew the game against Stephen Bunting was important because if I lost that one, everything became permutations for next week," he acknowledged.

"Once I got through that match, and then with Gerwyn Price losing — luckily I was in the second semi-final so I could see what was happening — I knew that even if I lost to Luke, there was still a chance I could qualify in Sheffield. So the pressure came off a little bit. Of course, people see last week and think you can’t beat him and that you’re a bottler or whatever, but it’s not like that. When you’re not used to winning a lot, the adrenaline gets you. In those last-leg deciders, the adrenaline is so high that you’re either pushing or pulling darts a little bit, and it becomes hard work."

Despite him being on top, there was no time to relinquish control or lose focus against someone like Littler. "Because Luke’s the best player in the world, he sees it. He feeds off it. When I got to 5–3, I just told myself: don’t relent, keep putting him under pressure. I did that, and that’s the sort of performance I expect from myself more often. But Luke’s a fantastic player. He’s the best player in the world and you have to produce huge averages to beat him. He hadn’t been beaten for the last three weeks, so it took a really good performance tonight."

Humphries has consistently boasted impressive scoring throughout the whole Premier League campaign. However, the doubles have let him down on numerous occasions, costing him the chance to gain more points.

Now he has got his first nightly win of 2026, it feels like he is peaking at the right time. "The stats would show that. I always look at stats, and I think I’m averaging more than anybody else in this Premier League again," he emphasised.

"The funny thing for me is that I always get written off. I have a couple of bad months and suddenly it’s, 'Oh, he’s a has-been.' I see it, but I never really listen to it because I know that performance is always around the corner. Over the last three weeks I’ve probably averaged around 103, and for the whole year I’m averaging 100. So I know I’m playing well."

He acknowledged his doubling woes, but they are now starting to improve. "The main thing that was affecting me was my doubles. Tonight they were really good. Last week they were good. The week before they were good. That was the missing piece. Now I’m hitting them, everything is coming together more. So yeah, it’s nice to be written off because I always seem to come back fine."

Sneaking into the play-offs at this late stage could make him a real threat with momentum on his side. "Someone asked me last week whether winning the Premier League this year would mean more than last year, and I said yes because it’s been much harder work," he stated. "The last two years were more comfortable. This year I’ve kind of had to come through the back door a little bit. But there’s not much pressure on me now because three weeks ago people were saying I probably wouldn’t qualify. Now I’ve qualified, the pressure has dropped a bit. So now I can relax a little, enjoy being there and see what happens."

Of course with Humphries not living up to his potential on the oche, there is going to be a lot of noise surrounding the world number two. He used his experience to block out the noise from the media and fans to get the job done.

"It can be difficult, but I always clap back. Throughout my whole career, especially the last three or four years when I’ve been winning, I’ve always responded," he said. "After the Worlds, I had that noise around me and then I came back and won the World Cup and the World Matchplay, and made the Grand Prix final.

"I always manage to respond, and that’s important to me. I don’t really listen to the outside noise — I listen to myself. It’s about asking yourself: Have you still got that fire? Have you still got that dog in you? Over the last couple of years I’ve found out that I do have it, and that’s what separates good players from great players. You need that fight in you when things aren’t going your way. This Premier League hasn’t really gone my way, but I’ve managed to put my heart into it and over the last three weeks I’ve brought my best game out when it mattered. I’m really proud of that."

He mentioned being written off. That does not bother him as he does his talking on the oche. "No, not really. It’s happened my whole career, ever since I started winning majors. I take it with a pinch of salt. Sometimes people say things just to get a reaction out of you, but I just keep doing my thing.

"I think I’ve proved enough over the last three and a half years that I’m not just going to disappear because of a couple of bad months. I always respond. To be fair, every player gets criticism. Fans are entitled to their opinions. If you’re not playing well, you’re going to get targeted — that’s just part of sport. I probably haven’t been at my best over the last few months, but I think the real fans know I’m capable of bouncing back, and you’ve seen that over the last three weeks."

Humphries rise to the top of the sport has been incredible. A large part has been getting over his prior struggles amid panic attacks on stage and anxiety. He has changed his life, lost a lot of weight and become the darting force everyone knows he is.

Now, he is continuing to keep living a healthy lifestyle. "It was more about dedication than anything else," he said. "I’ve invested a lot into a gym at home. I’m working out a lot more and eating healthier. I’ve always tried to live healthily, but maybe I wasn’t as dedicated as I needed to be. Over the last three months I’ve really dedicated myself to getting back to where I was four or five years ago, maybe even better than that. So yeah, just being more dedicated."

He admitted that getting over those past mental health struggles have made him so much mentally stronger. "Going through those struggles made me mentally stronger. I’ve said that many times. When you’ve gone through so much in your own mind and managed to overcome it and still win big things, it changes you mentally.

"I’m not saying I’m happy I went through it, but it definitely made me stronger because of it. All I care about now is being an inspiration to other people — whether that’s players or anyone else. If someone looks at me and thinks, “If he can do it, maybe I can too,” then that’s the most important thing. That’s why I’ve always been open and honest about it. Not to be some superstar, but to help people. Me and James Wade have both tried to make mental health discussions more open in darts, and hopefully one day someone comes up to you and says, “You really helped me.” Then it’s all worthwhile."