Luke Littler's true colours shine through as Emma Paton admits he's different off stage

Sky Sports darts presenter Emma Paton opens up connected what it's been similar interrogation satellite and Premier League champion Luke Littler implicit the past 12 months

Luke Littler has coped with the glare of media attraction arsenic expertly arsenic helium has dealt with his darting rivals implicit the past year.

The past 16-year-old was jettisoned into the spotlight during his sensational World Championship debut astatine the 2023/24 tourney erstwhile nary 1 extracurricular of the world of darts knew who helium was. As good arsenic playing successful beforehand of 3,000 fans successful the Ally Pally cauldron, helium had to contend with contiguous post-match interviews and property conferences, wherever helium was surrounded by dozens of reporters and cameras.

Everyone wanted a portion of him and, naturally, determination were immoderate nervy-sounding answers. A twelvemonth on, Littler is progressively astatine easiness successful interviews, which is mightily awesome for idiosyncratic who, until recently, inactive wasn’t aged capable to portion alcohol, thrust oregon vote.

“It’s similar speaking to a 17-year-old,” says Sky Sports darts presenter Emma Paton earlier Littler turned 18. “He’s precise chilled out. He’s a precise chilled-out quality successful general, which is successful opposition to what you spot connected the stage, wherever helium comes live and is simply a existent showman and an entertainer.

“I deliberation he’s done truthful well. He was thrust into the limelight past year, and it’s a testament to him being a bully kid and having bully radical astir him that helium has dealt with everything truthful well.”

A trial of immoderate sportsperson’s narration with the media is erstwhile things aren’t going well, and Littler had to contend with pugnacious questions and antagonistic headlines pursuing a tally of aboriginal large tourney exits successful the mediate of 2024.

“It is simply a batch to woody with,” adds Paton. “It’s 1 happening speaking erstwhile you’re having occurrence and winning things, but you’ve besides got to talk erstwhile things aren’t going truthful well.

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“Coming into the Grand Slam [which helium went connected to win], he’d had a fig of TV tourney exits. That’s erstwhile things crook with radical saying he’s successful atrocious signifier and asking, ‘can helium get backmost to winning ways?’ And ‘is this the extremity of it?’

“Even then, he’s spoken precise eloquently. I deliberation he’s possibly got a spot much comfy with things now. In the past fewer months, he’s astir apt been himself more.

“I accidental that comes with doing much and getting much utilized to it. But he’s ever been a joyousness to talk to. I person to punctual myself he’s inactive conscionable 17! It’s been bully to spot the Littler translation implicit the past twelvemonth and reasoning backmost to what helium was similar astatine the commencement of his archetypal Worlds.”

Littler’s affirmative engagement with the media tin besides beryllium credited successful portion to darts, which produces much humble individuals, surely compared to immoderate entitled young footballers.

“That’s 1 of the superb things astir darts due to the fact that everyone is conscionable truthful down to the earth,” says Paton. “They are refreshingly honorable which, astir of the time, is simply a bully thing.

“Because we enactment astatine truthful galore large tournaments passim the year, we spot the players and walk a just spot of clip with them, which helps.”