Luke Littler has admitted he came close to taking a break from darts during the Premier League season due to persistent booing and whistling from sections of the crowd. Speaking to Ariel Helwani ahead of the US Darts Masters at Madison Square Garden, the world number one revisited the darker side of his title-winning campaign, saying there were nights when he told his girlfriend Faith, “I just don’t want to do it anymore.”
Littler, who went on to beat Luke Humphries 11-10 in the Premier League final in London, said the hostility began in January and continued throughout the tournament. “It was crazy,” he said. “I said it after the game: what’s the point in paying money for tickets and then coming to boo me and put me off, whistle, when I’m trying to win games?” He revealed that his manager and sponsors advised him to celebrate only after winning, not during the match, to avoid giving the crowd more ammunition.
Asked how close he was to stepping away, Littler replied, “I was very close. Very close. Because it was just week in, week out of constant fans whistling, booing. It doesn’t only get to me. It gets to everyone when there’s whistling.” He described the early weeks of the Premier League as difficult, at one point sitting bottom of the table, before finding his form and surging to the title. “Just to get that winning feeling back and obviously to let everyone know that I’m not going anywhere,” he said. “I’m here to win titles, and I’ve won every title this year so far.”
Now, Littler says the desire for a break is “out of my system.” His focus is on the US Darts Masters, a World Series event he has never won. “When I come to New York, I want to win this title and yeah, I’ve not won it yet,” he said. He also reflected on the difference between American and British darts crowds, saying, “The British are better at the chanting and stuff like that. Have you seen the Scottish around Boston? Unbelievable. I think the Americans can work on it.”
Littler believes darts can grow in the United States, noting that this is the fourth year of the New York event and his third visit. “Obviously Barry for Matchroom and Matchroom themselves want to try and get it big out here because boxing’s big out here, UFC is really big out here. I think darts could be the next thing,” he said. With the World Championship, Premier League, and World Cup already in his 2026 collection, the US Darts Masters remains the one major World Series stop still missing from his trophy cabinet.
