In just a year, Luke Littler has transformed from an unknown darts player to a British sporting icon and a household name. The 17 year old Warrington lad first caught the public’s eye with his astonishing run to the PDC World Darts Championship final in January, before adding an impressive ten titles to his collection this year.
His victory over rival Luke Humphries to secure his first Premier League title, and triumph in November’s exhilarating Grand Slam of Darts, have only fuelled the ‘Nuke’ hype train. Now ranked fourth on the PDC Order of Merit, and with a BBC Sports Personality of the Year award nomination under his belt, Littler is setting his sights on the World Darts Championship once again – this time entering as the bookies’ favourite, despite his tender age.
As Littler embarks on his quest to become world champion this Saturday evening, his tight-knit team will undoubtedly be there to cheer him on every step of the way. And we at Chronicle Live are here to give you an insight into the inner circle of this darts prodigy.
Littler’s father, Anthony Buckley, has been instrumental in his successful career. A former taxi driver from Warrington, Anthony persuaded his then nine year old son to swap football for darts – a decision that has clearly paid dividends.
Luke Littler’s journey to darting fame started when he was just a toddler, with his first magnetic darts board bought from a pound shop thanks to his dad who steered him toward the sport. His talent blossomed under the guidance of coach Karl Holden at St Helens Darts Shop, where Littler earned the title “Cristiano Ronaldo of darts” from Holden himself, reports the Mirror.
Littler reminisced on BBC Radio 2: “My dad said, ‘hang your boots up let’s focus on darts’. I was like, ‘I love it though’. My dad said, ‘I think your ability to be a professional, you’ve got high chances.’ Six years later here I am.”
The Times received more insight from Buckley, Luke’s father: “He was a good footballer. He loved football. All kids do. But I said to him at nine, hang your boots up. Concentrate on darts. You can still play football here and there. But if there’s a darts comp on at the weekends, go to darts first.”
“Make that your priority, because I thought he could make it at darts – and he has done. When I said to him, you need to keep playing darts, he was OK with it. We put him in every competition that was online. Sometimes you’re getting up at 7am on a Saturday – my only day off – just to play darts. There were no lie-ins.”
Lisa, Luke’s mother, is another pillar of support for her son, celebrating his successes through social media posts, including one memorable video showing an 18-month-old Luke throwing darts while still in his nappy; Lisa’s pages have become a testament to Littler’s extraordinary feats. .
Before dedicating time to support her son, Lisa worked as a sales assistant at a scented candle shop. Given Luke’s rapid rise to fame, it’s unclear if she has returned to her job at Yankee Candle.
The family has recently moved into a luxurious five-bedroom detached house on the outskirts of Luke’s hometown, courtesy of his £6,000-per-month lease. His parents have been spotted enjoying their new swimming pool on social media.
Luke’s older sister Caitlin has also been seen cheering him on, despite keeping a relatively low profile. She occasionally interacts with him on social media, calling herself the “proudest sister ever” and referring to Luke as the ‘GOAT’ after his win at the Jack’s World Series of Darts Finals in September.
Caitlin has a presence on TikTok with 27,000 followers and often posts videos. The siblings also have a brother named Harry, who tends to avoid the public eye.
Martin Foulds of ZXF Sports Management serves as Luke’s long-time manager and mentor, accompanying him to public events like football matches and the Silverstone F1 Grand Prix, where he met Lando Norris. Their romance reportedly kicked off four years ago when Foulds realised Littler’s potential and decided to catch him in action.
He has been a stabilising force for the young darting prodigy, keeping him grounded amidst a career that’s reaped considerable financial rewards. Martin, a fellow Manchester United fan like his charge, has often highlighted the critical role of Littler’s parents in his rise to success, previously remarking: “Not enough is said about the parents who have sacrificed so much for Luke and travelled the world with him to help him achieve his dream.”
Littler has impressively balanced his demanding professional life with his personal life over the last year. His relationship with Avon sales representative Eloise Milburn began just before his star turn, after they met during an online FIFA 23 match.
The two began seeing each other, united by their love for football and darts, with Eloise—who is four years his senior and also dabbles in darts—regularly attending his national tournaments. However, their relationship ended this summer, with Littler said to be “upset”, though they chose to remain friends. Not long after, Luke inadvertently hinted at a new rumoured romance during a gaming livestream.
While engaged in a virtual boxing bout with the well-known streamer Angryginge13, aka Morgan Burtwistle, a woman’s voice was overheard in conversation with Littler, sparking instant rumours about the Nuke’s latest love interest.
During a live stream, Luke Littler’s gaming session took an unexpected turn when a mysterious female voice was overheard saying: “I’m gonna try and get some sleep because I’m so tired.”
Fellow gamer AngryGinge quickly pressed the darts star, with streamer Burtwistle teasing: “Who the f*** is that? Who’s that Luke? Who’s that Luke? He’s had a rotter there! Luke’s had a rotter,” to the amusement of their audience. Littler responded with a swear-laden exclamation, realising the teasing wouldn’t stop soon.
The situation escalated when AngryGinge chimed in with a playful prod: “Let her get to bed, Luke, come on.”
Once it dawned on Littler that his unintended on-air guest could be heard by viewers, he laughed off the blunder, joking: “Your chat is going mad, F*** off. If someone has screen recorded that, it’s in the papers in the morning. Yep, well played. Why’s the volume all the way up, you f***ing idiot? “.
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