Luke Littler has become the face of darts, with the sport enjoying exponential growth since he became a professional just over two years ago.
The Nuke only needs to add the European Championship to his trophy collection to complete a career Grand Slam at the age of just 19.
Away from dominating darts, the teenager has also become a celebrity, and Adrian Lewis thinks Littler could retire early due to his rapidly growing fame.
But due to his incredible impact on the sport and its increased popularity, players are beginning to behave more like elite athletes, and Matchroom boss Barry Hearn can only laugh about that.
Luke Littler has urged for improved food at Premier League venues
Hearn has played a defining role in both darts and snooker for decades, continuously working to improve the monetisation of the sports despite turning 78 in June.
The prize money in darts, for example, has skyrocketed in recent years, with Littler taking home £1 million following his triumph in the World Darts Championship, double what he received for winning the tournament in 2025.
But even with a life-changing amount of money being made available, some darts players – including Littler – still find reasons to complain.
“Even the dart players, even they moan,” Hearn told SportsBoom in an interview. “Someone said to me the other day, I won’t tell you who he was because he’s quite well known. But bear in mind he’s the current world champion. He said something about criticising the food in the Premier League venues.”
The conversation then progressed even further when Hearn said special requests were made by Littler and his management.
“You know, ‘Can we have a chef in?’ he added. “His manager, can we have his chef in?’ I went, ‘for f***’s sake, it’s a darts tournament. What are you talking about? Shut up and drink your lager.’”
Hearn has illustrated how the sport has changed a lot over the past decade or two. Once known as a typical pub sport, it is now a multi-million-pound business, and the players’ behaviour reflects that.
Littler aiming for more Premier League glory
The addition of a chef won’t improve Littler’s chances of winning the Premier League, as he’s already the clear favourite.
Following a slow start by his usual high standards, the Warrington-born arrowsmith has won two of the last three Premier League nights, including a 6-5 victory over Gerwyn Price in Dublin.
| Pos | Player | Pts | Matches Won |
| 1 | Jonny Clayton | 19 | 11 |
| 2 | Luke Littler | 16 | 8 |
| 3 | Gerwyn Price | 12 | 7 |
| 4 | Luke Humphries | 11 | 6 |
| 5 | Michael van Gerwen | 10 | 5 |
| 6 | Gian van Veen | 9 | 6 |
| 7 | Stephen Bunting | 7 | 4 |
| 8 | Josh Rock | 0 | 0 |
Sitting second in the table as a result, and only three points behind Jonny Clayton, Littler can take top spot if he at least reaches the final and Clayton somehow loses against Josh Rock.
Littler starts night eight in Berlin with a quarter-final clash against Stephen Bunting, the man he beat last week, before dispatching Michael van Gerwen and Price.
