"I thought it was disrespectful" - Sky Sports experts slam James Wade after World Matchplay final

James Wade has come under fire for his behaviour in the aftermath of the 2025 World Matchplay final, where he was defeated 18–13 by Luke Littler. The controversy stems not from his performance on the oche, but from what he did immediately after the final dart was thrown.

Rather than staying on stage to congratulate the new champion or take part in the customary Sky Sports interview, Wade exited quickly, leaving Littler to lift the trophy alone. For many fans and pundits, the move crossed a line.

On the most recent episode of Sky Sports' Love the Darts podcast, Michael Bridge and commentator Chris Murphy didn’t agree with Wade’s actions. They labelled it as “disrespectful,” not only to Littler but also to the fans watching at home and the sport’s traditions. "I got it clarified that there was no issues with Luke or the crowd or anything like that," Bridge explains. "He was just angry at himself. Which is fine, but we would have liked to have heard from him."

While there’s no formal obligation for the runner-up to stay on stage, it’s long been an unwritten rule of sportsmanship. "I thought it was disrespectful for him not to be on the stage at the end," Murphy assesses. "Whether he does an interview or not is up to him, but not to be there when Luke is recieving the trophy, that is disrespectful. Just stand there for a minute and applaud, and then say 'I don't want to talk'."

The incident sparked a significant reaction online, with many fans echoing the sentiment. Viewers pointed out that Wade left before Littler even lifted the trophy, calling it ‘poor form’ and ‘not what you want to see in a major final’. It wasn’t just about one missed interview, it was the overall tone it set. At a moment meant to celebrate a historic win for Littler, the absence of the runner-up felt jarring.

Adding context doesn’t necessarily excuse the moment, but it does help explain it. Wade had just come through a gruelling semi-final against Jonny Clayton, surviving a late comeback to edge the match 20–18. The game took a lot out of him, both physically and mentally. In a raw, expletive-laced press conference following that semi-final, Wade openly admitted to Dartsnews.com and others that he was “knackered”. He even described himself as “done” and “absolutely shattered,” hinting that he didn’t know if he could handle another game of that intensity.

Even so, Bridge and Murphy made the case that emotion can’t entirely excuse what unfolded. In a high-profile event like the World Matchplay final, where millions are watching, decorum matters. By leaving the stage early, Wade denied fans the full picture and failed to acknowledge Littler’s incredible achievement, an 18-year-old winning one of darts’ most prestigious events.

"There's a serious side with James of course, we know about his mental health and his mental illnesses that he suffers with and that he's trying to combat all the time, but I think he maybe needs a little bit of guidance and support with that," Murphy says. "If he's not up to doing a press conference straight after a match, maybe he should be approaching the PDC and asking about facilitating his press conference when he returns for the next round in a better frame of mind."

"I do have sympathy, but it's not helping him. It's not helping anyone to deliver him in that way," Murphy adds. "Maybe he'd be better off being a bit quiet, getting his head down and just doing what he did on stage and not constantly assuming this mentality of 'everybody hates me, no one talks about me'. All week, all I heard was James Wade is one of the greatest players that has ever played this game and how well he's playing."

Interestingly, Littler himself appeared unbothered. In his own post-match comments, he revealed that Wade had been supportive behind the scenes in the build-up to the final. Wade had even offered him advice the night before, which Littler took to heart and seemed to appreciate the honesty.

Whether Wade will respond publicly or reflect differently in the future remains to be seen. For now, though, the criticism continues, and the conversation around sportsmanship in darts has a new focal point.