Luke Woodhouse has stepped forward to champion the cause of his fellow competitor, Luke Littler, urging fans to recognize and celebrate the young prodigy's skill after the 19‑year‑old faced a wave of boos at recent tournaments. The appeal came in the wake of a first‑round defeat for Littler at the World Grand Prix in Leicester, where Woodhouse overcame him 2‑1, ending the world number one’s title defence. During that match, Littler’s performance fell short of his usual high standards, with an average of just 82.41 points per throw, while Woodhouse rallied from a set down to secure a place in the last‑16, where he will meet Nathan Aspinall.
In reflecting on his victory, Woodhouse used the platform to speak out on behalf of Littler, praising the teenager for his contributions to the sport and urging the audience to give him the respect he deserves. "Luke isn’t a robot.
He’ll have days and weeks when he isn’t at his absolute best," Woodhouse explained. "People keep saying it, and I’ll say it again: He’s a one‑of‑a‑kind talent, Luke Littler. I hope fans will take a moment to appreciate how good he is, stop giving him a hard time, and truly stand behind him.
You may never see another Luke Littler again." The backlash against Littler is not new. Earlier in September, during the World Series of Darts Finals in the Netherlands, sections of the crowd booed and whistled at him.
The hostility began in his opening match against Danny Noppert and continued in his round‑of‑16 clash with Aspinall, prompting referee Charlie Corstorphine to step in and calm the arena. The 19‑year‑old even threatened to boycott future events in the Netherlands and subsequently withdrew from two Players Championship tournaments held there.
Ultimately, he was eliminated in the quarter‑finals by Jonny Clayton. When asked why some spectators seem intent on giving the back‑to‑back PDC World Darts Championship winner a hard time, Woodhouse admitted he could not pinpoint a single reason. "I don’t know," he said. "He’s done for the game what legends like Phil Taylor, Michael van Gerwen, Raymond van Barneveld and Gary Anderson have done, taking it to the next level.
I just hope people back him, give him support, and recognise what a top‑class talent he is. Sure, he wasn’t on fire tonight, and he lost last week, but he will go on to win many more titles." Woodhouse’s own match against Littler was a roller‑coaster.
After dropping the first set, he fought back to level the contest and then launched into an aggressive start in the deciding third set. He claimed the first two legs, Littler responded by taking the third, but Woodhouse sealed the final leg to clinch the set 3‑1, finishing with a clean checkout of 75. Describing his feelings after the win, Woodhouse said, "It’s a mix of emotions and hard to sum up. I felt I almost threw away the first set – not completely, but I had chances to push it to a deciding leg and missed them, which made me angry with myself.
I sensed Littler wasn’t firing on all cylinders, so I thought, ‘Please don’t lose two sets when you’re off your game.’ In the end, it was a huge relief, and I’m over the moon to beat someone of Luke’s calibre on a main stage." He also highlighted how significant it is to defeat the world number one, while stressing that his hunger for titles remains unabated. "It’s fantastic," he added. "Luke will go down as one of the greats, if he isn’t already.
I’m aware the format is short – you have to start strong, double in, double out quickly – so I’m not naive about the challenge. Winning tournaments is my goal, and this victory is a big step toward that." The tournament moves into its second round on Wednesday and Thursday, with quarter‑finals slated for Friday, semi‑finals on Saturday, and the final on Sunday. Fans can follow the action live on Sky Sports+ and Sky Sports Main Event from 6 p.m.
on Tuesday, with continuous coverage through to the championship match. For those without a Sky subscription, the event is also available on NOW with a flexible, contract‑free streaming option.