Fallon Sherrock's stunning victory over Luke Littler on the Netflix special Beat Luke Littler has divided British media, with praise for her historic achievement tempered by questions over her participation in an event billed as a chance for amateurs to face the world's best.
In the Friday night broadcast from Manchester, Littler faced 20 opponents, each with one leg to defeat the world number one and claim the entire £501,000 top prize. The 19-year-old Englishman won his first 14 matches but then came up short against Sherrock, who hit a 180 among other highlights and eventually beat Littler in 15 darts. That brought the event to an immediate end, leaving the final five participants without a chance to compete.
The Daily Mail noted that around 3,000 people auditioned for the programme, but the final line-up also included semi-professional players and competitors with World Championship experience. The newspaper was critical of Sherrock's standing, writing: "She may not be the best player, or even the best female player." The Daily Express added: "Her participation in the tournament, which was announced as an event for amateurs, was controversial because she had already played PDC tournaments." Sherrock, 32, is currently third in the women's world rankings and does not hold a PDC Tour Card, but she made history in 2019 as the first woman to win a match at the PDC World Championship, beating Ted Evetts and Mensur Suljovic in succession.
Not all coverage was critical. The Sun stressed: "Even if she was there for the publicity, Sherrock was the one throwing the darts. She pulled off the stunt of the evening at a moment when Littler seemed unbeatable." The Daily Express acknowledged her performance, noting she "has now won the biggest prize ever claimed by a woman at a darts event" and pointing out that her 180 was "as many as Littler managed in his first 12 legs." The £501,000 prize was a reference to the 501 points from which a leg of darts begins.
Littler, gracious in defeat, congratulated Sherrock on Instagram and thanked the organisers. "What an experience. Congratulations to Fallon for the win," he wrote, adding: "Enjoyed every bit of this process and want to say a massive thank you to Netflix for making this show a reality. Maybe we can do it again next year."
