Luke Littler has announced that he will not be attending the upcoming BBC Sports Personality of the Year awards ceremony, despite being nominated for the prestigious award. Instead, he has predicted that Lando Norris will clinch the top honor.
Known as ‘The Nuke,’ the 18-year-old is among the six contenders vying for the accolade, competing against the likes of Norris, Rory McIlroy, Chloe Kelly, Hannah Hampton, and Ellie Kildunne. Although he was nominated last year and narrowly missed out to Keely Hodgkinson, Littler remains focused on his upcoming match with either Mario Vandenbogaerde or David Davies, scheduled two days after the awards ceremony on December 18.
When asked about the ceremony, Littler stated, “No. I’m not going. I’m not going to it. I think they know. I think obviously the people in the top three on the betting odds will obviously go there and I think Lando will win. I think I’ve only missed out on four majors this year. So if I’d won them, do I win it? Who knows – but good luck to whoever’s going to win it.”
In the coming days, Littler plans to relax at home but will make time to watch Manchester United’s match against Bournemouth on Monday night. As a devoted Red Devils supporter, he was present in the packed away section at Molineux during their 4-1 victory over Wolves last week, causing a stir on social media.
Responding to queries about how he obtained tickets for the match, Littler clarified, “I mean, everyone just jumps on everything. They don’t know anything. I put something out there (on social media) to thank Adidas for the tickets because no one knows. And then when I put it on, they’re like, ‘Oh, you’re just trying to cover it up.’ But the tickets were off Adidas. From what I heard, as kit manufacturers Adidas give a certain amount of tickets out a year, home and away, to whoever they want. So they chose me, gave me three tickets for Wolves away.”
After a 3-0 victory over Darius Labanauskas at Ally Pally, Littler faced an unexpected encounter with a wasp during his post-match interview with Sky Sports. Reflecting on the match, he said, “It definitely wasn’t easy and I’m happy with the win. There were a few nerves but once you win a leg and win a set, it settles you down. That first set was crucial against the darts. Everyone in the tournament wants to get through the first round. It’s definitely the hardest game – it doesn’t matter who you play. If you don’t play well, you’re not going to win, so I’m very happy with that.”
As the World Darts Championship approaches, the preview highlights Luke Littler’s title defense against Luke Humphries at the sold-out Ally Pally. The feature includes insights from both players, discussions with experts such as Wayne Mardle, Emma Paton, John Part, and Polly James, analysis of key contenders, and a range of engaging content.