Luke Littler was left ‘annoyed’ when his ‘new girlfriend’ was accidentally revealed to the public ahead of the 2024/25 PDC World Darts Championship.
Littler, 17, is the biggest name in darts at the moment, and his popularity has skyrocketed throughout this year’s World Championship.
On Friday, the Warrington-born talent was crowned World Champion after his impressive 7-3 victory over Michael van Gerwen at Alexandra Palace, London.
And as ever with sports stars and celebrities, with fame comes huge public interest in their personal lives, and Littler is no different.
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In the aftermath of the World Championship triumph, he has received messages from legendary darts star Phil Taylor, with former Manchester United winger David Beckham even wishing him well.
But this comes at a cost. When Littler burst onto the scene at the 2023/24 edition of the world championship, his then-girlfriend Eloise Bilburn was spotted cheering him on from the crowd, although the pair have since gone separate ways, according to the Express.
However, the publication suggests that the 17-year-old may have already found a new partner. The Express explains how Littler was live streaming with Morgan Burtwistle (Angry Ginge) when an ‘unidentified female voice’ could be heard in the background.
"I'm gonna try and get some sleep because I'm so tired,” said the unidentified person.
Angry Ginge, 23, quickly reacted and said: “Who the f*** is that? Who's that, Luke? Who's that, Luke?”
Littler replied: “F*** sake,” before the pair chuckled together.
Angry Ginge added: “Let her get to bed, Luke, come on."
Since the clip went viral, Littler has not confirmed whose voice it was, nor has he suggested that he has a new girlfriend.
Of course, given his talent, it is easy to forget that Littler is still just 17 years old. And for people much older than him, relationships, especially in the gaze of the public, can derail young sports stars’ focus on their careers.
Relationship expert Tina Wilson recently gave her thoughts on the topic when speaking with the Mail.
“I suspect he might be keeping his new romance private and may prefer to keep her out of the spotlight this time,” said Wilson.
“Perhaps even opting for a love interest not invested in darts this time round either, as much less pressure on him to invite them along to his workplace where all eyes are on them.
“This could explain why he reacted the way he did on the livestream. His mic was on, and his new alleged girlfriend spoke in the room, which was innocently caught on audio.
"With any new relationship, he may want to take his time before making it public, especially as someone in the media spotlight. Looking at the Rooneys, the pressure of their romance in the tabloids had its issues.
“He's also young and has a lot going on professionally. Not that he shouldn't have a girlfriend at his age, but he might want to enjoy dating without the pressures of settling into a long-term serious relationship just yet.”
Topics: Darts, Luke Littler, Michael van Gerwen, David Beckham
Luke Davies