Barry Hearn reveals he sent urgent warning to Luke Littler in private talks days before World Darts Championship

Luke Littler has had a whirlwind 2024 after roaring to the final of his first World Darts Championship.

The Nuke was beaten by world number one Luke Humphries in the final in January but was subsequently added to the Premier League Darts roster as a PDC wildcard and hasn't looked back.

Now 17, Littler has rattled in the nine-darters, beat Humphries to win the Premier League Darts final, and has been shortlisted for BBC Sports Personality of the Year. With the next World Darts Championship starting on Sunday at Alexandra Palace, the teenage sensation has been warned to be smart with his money and keep an eye on the future.

Littler, who will face the winner of the First Round match between Ryan Meikle and Fallon Sherrock in the Second Round, spoke recently about the fake friends who appear at the fringes of fresh fame.

Promoter Barry Hearn told Express Sport that he's given The Nuke some important advice on how to deal with hangers-on and handle his wealth.

Luke Littler has taken the sport of darts by storm in the past year (Image credit: Getty)

"I talked to him a couple of days ago, and actually I said something similar to him," Hearn told the Express. "'Listen, you're going to find you've got a lot of friends now, son. You're 17 years old – don't listen to anybody. Give yourself a chance. Just put the money in the bank and forget about it.'

"I said, 'It's the best advice I could ever give anyone. We've got plenty of time to spend money, not necessarily plenty of time to earn money. You don't know what's around the corner. So cash is king'."

Luke Littler won his maiden Premier League title earlier this year (Image credit: Getty)

Littler's extraordinary rise to prominence has come at a young age and has already brought about three major final wins and another final defeat against Humphries at the Players Championship Finals at Minehead in November.

A year's worth of PDC prize money and the associated financial benefits of his marketability have made Littler a very wealthy young man. That inevitably attracts the wrong sort of attention too and Hearn's advice to shut those people out, bank the money and just get on with it shouldn't be taken lightly.

The youngster's immediate focus will be on going one better in 2025 and winning at Ally Pally.