"That's just the rollercoaster of fame": Luke Littler warned popularity will wane by PDC Chairman Eddie Hearn
PDC
Luke Littler is currently the big crowd favorite in the darts world, but according to PDC chairman Eddie Hearn, that won't always be the case. Hearn expects the young darter's unprecedented popularity to wane at some point, despite his impressive achievements and growing status in the sport.
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Since his sensational performance at the 2024 World Darts Championship, where he reached the final as a 16-year-old, Littler has become the circuit's biggest star. In 2025, he managed to top that feat by convincingly defeating Michael van Gerwen in the final and capturing the world title. He also continued to show his dominance thereafter with wins in the UK Open and the Belgian Darts Open, while 'The Nuke' also started strong in the Premier League Darts.
Everywhere Littler played in the past 15 months, he enjoyed massive support from the crowd. At the same time, some of his opponents faced whistling concerts and negative reactions. Yet Hearn believes this unprecedented support will not last indefinitely.
"I think right now Luke Litter is probably the most instantly recognisable face in sport in the UK," the PDC chairman said to The Sun. "I mean, there isn't anyone that doesn't know who Luke Litter is or what he's doing right now. He's such an impressive young man in the sense that he's performing under the utmost of pressure and keeping his head as well. So he's got a great team of people around him and he's on a meteoric rise."
Still, Hearn warns that there will come a time when Littler's popularity will decline: "I'm sure there's gonna be a time where Luke Littler's not liked like he is now but that really comes with success and that's just the rollercoaster of fame.
"So like I said, he seems to have a very level head on his shoulders and the PDC and support team do a great job in making sure that he's prepared for what comes."
During the Belgian Open, it was already apparent that Littler does not get equal support everywhere. In the final against home favorite Mike De Decker, the public's sympathy lay with the Belgian, but Littler nevertheless managed to take the victory 8-5 in Wieze.
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Samuel GillChief Content Officer
Samuel Gill is the Chief Content Officer (CCO) of DartsNews.com, a role he has held since 2020. He is responsible for editorial governance across the platform, including setting content standards, overseeing accuracy and consistency, and guiding long-term editorial strategy across professional darts coverage. Since joining, he has contributed more than 10,000 articles and editorial pieces, playing a central role in the development and daily operation of the site.
Based in Leicester, Samuel has extensive experience in darts media and has been closely involved in coverage of the professional darts circuit for several years. Within the UK darts community, he is a recognised figure known for his consistent editorial output and ongoing reporting on major tournaments and developments across the PDC calendar.
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