Luke Littler has arrived at Alexandra Palace ahead of his World Darts Championship final tonight – and a possible fairy-tale ending to his incredible tournament success.
The 16-year-old darts wonderkid was greeted by the press as he got out of a car and made his way into the iconic London venue for history-making clash.
It comes after Luke ‘The Nuke’ was spotted stepping out for a cheese and ham omelette with his beautician girlfriend earlier today.
The child prodigy, who has celebrated winning his previous matches with kebabs and pizzas, ventured out to a local cafe with Eloise Milburn, 21, as he prepares for the biggest game of his life.
Luke, dubbed the ‘Prince of the Palace’ by fans, is said to have ordered the £8.40 omelette at Cafe Millennium in Angel, north London, which he revealed has been part of his pre-match routine this week.
The couple were all smiles as they strolled around Islington with a group that included Littler’s father, Anthony Buckley, and his manager, Martin Foulds.
Littler will make history as the youngest-ever finalist when he takes on number three seed Luke Humphries, 28, after cruising through the semi-finals with an emphatic 6-2 victory over 2018 champion Rob Cross last night.
Luke Littler has arrived at Alexandra Palace ahead of his World Darts Championship final tonight. He was greeted by the press as stepped out of his car
Luke Littler has been spotted heading for a fry up with his girlfriend ahead of his World Darts Championship final at Alexandra Palace tonight
Littler steps out with his father (left), his manager, (centre) and his girlfriend (right) ahead of the big night
Littler seemed in good spirits ahead of what is the biggest game of his life. He could win £500,000 tonight
Luke ‘The Nuke’ is said to have tucked into a ham and cheese omelette at Cafe Millennium, which costs £8.40
Littler steps out of Cafe Millenium in north London. The 16-year-old will be in action later tonight
The kebab and Xbox-loving star has already secured a £200,000 prize for making it to the World Darts Championship final, but he could leave Ally Pally £500,000 richer if he triumphs in front of a sell-out crowd tonight.
After beating Cross in the semi-finals, Littler admitted that he would not change what he has been doing ahead of tonight’s final.
He said: ‘I will just do what I have been doing. In the morning, I will go for my ham-and-cheese omelette. Then for lunch, I will have my pizza.
‘I will practice on the board. That’s what I have done every day.’
The Sun reports that he followed through with his promise and ordered a ham and cheese omelette hours before the big event.
The young darts star has warmed the nations hearts by opening up about how he has celebrated his sensational wins with kebabs, pizzas and soft drinks.
After his win on Wednesday, Littler said: ‘I will treat myself to a kebab. Get myself some bottles of Coke and bottles of Fanta.’
He then stuck to his word by posting a photo of him getting stuck into what appeared to be a lamb doner on his big night.
Brand and Culture expert Nick Ede told MailOnline that Littler is a ‘branding dream at the age of 16’ and is well on the way to becoming a household name who could ‘easily earn at least £1million by the end of the year’.
Littler smiles while talking with his support network who have helped get him to the brink of glory
Luke Littler heads out for a good old British fry up as he heads to the Millennium cafe in Angel
The 16-year-old darts sensation is one game away from making half a million pounds in winnings
No player has so far been able to stop Littler from his path to glory – but he comes up against the world number three tonight
Littler looked cool, calm and collected as he wandered around Islington ahead of the final
He said: ‘There are so many opportunities that will come his way. He’s been open about his love of fast food and soft drinks and his beloved Xbox so these brands are likely to be coming for him quickly.
‘I can see businesses like Pizza Hut, Dominos and Chicago Town Pizza all wanting to sign him up fast for lucrative endorsements.’
Mr Ede believes that brands such as Domino’s, Pizza Hut and Fanta could fight to sponsor the darts prodigy, while tech companies could be plotting the launch of an Xbox game around him. That’s on top of the TV and book deals he’s set to net.
Mr Ede warned that there will be brands that have strict guidelines when it comes to age but when Littler turns 18, even more brands will want to get involved.
‘With his relationship status and devoted girlfriend he will be offered good money for at home exclusives and his social media is getting stronger which means posts can be monetised greatly,’ he added.
As well as winning a legion of fans – including celebrities and sports stars – he has also won the heart of new girlfriend Eloise Milburn, 21. She was seen kissing her 16-year-old boyfriend as he romped to his history-making semi-final place.
The story of how an unknown working-class teenager from Warrington has taken the world of darts by storm has captivated the nation.
When Luke ‘The Nuke’ Littler entered the tournament, he had only a few thousand Instagram followers.
Luke (second from right) is pictured looking stylish in his black coat and Under Armour cap
Teenage darts sensation Luke Littler was seen getting a peck from his girlfriend after his victory at the World Darts Championship
Littler hugs girlfriend Eloise after his sensational victory at London’s Alexandra Palace on Monday
Darts power couple Luke Littler, 16, and Eloise Milburn, 21, share a snap together online
Eloise, 21, (pictured) has proudly been supporting her other half during his historic competition run
He now has almost half a million followers on Instagram and videos of his exploits have been watched by hundreds of thousands of people on TikTok.
The youngster was even pictured at Tottenham Hotspur on New Year’s Eve having been invited by England midfielder James Maddison – as celebrities flock to praise him for his incredible run.
He’s also posed with Arsenal footballers Declan Rice and Aaron Ramsdale as well as Manchester United’s on-loan Dutch midfielder Donny Van de Beek and the popular Youtuber Behzinga.
More recently, he has interacted with The Apprentice star Thomas Skinner who posted on Instagram this morning: ‘Thank you for the follow @lukethenukelittler. Your a legend! And absolutely SMASHING IT!!.’
He also promised to treat him to breakfast at Dino’s cafe in east London, where he posts motivational videos on his social media platforms each morning.
His family have been at the core of his support network: ex-cabbie dad Anthony Buckley, mum Lisa Littler, sister Caitlin Littler, grandparents Carol and Phil Littler and beauty technician girlfriend Eloise.
The ‘Prince of the Palace’ has been seen kissing and hugging his other half – herself an amateur darts player – during his recent run of victories.
Littler is spotted walking into the north London cafe with a cap on as his girlfriend and manager walk in behind
Littler (left) and his girlfriend Eloise (right) have been dating for around six weeks, after meeting while playing Fifa online on Xbox
The pair have been dating for around six weeks, after meeting while playing Fifa online on Xbox, and Ms Milburn’s mother has been forced to speak out to reject hateful suggestions online that her daughter is a ‘money grabber’.
Away from darts, both Luke and Eloise are avid football fans. He follows Manchester United while her team is Crystal Palace, who she cheered on during their semi-final defeat to Chelsea at Wembley in April 2022.
Littler has dismissed the rabid speculation about his private life with the same ease he has shaken off world class opponents.
He said of the media coverage on Tuesday night: ‘There’s been some nice things, there’s been some horrible things which I don’t look at. Every game I win, you (the media) want to talk to me. I do like it but it does get a bit too much.’
His disarming attitude has put him front and centre for the BBC’s Sports Personality of the Year award in 2024, with bookies William Hill installing him as 6-1 favourite.
Olivia Martin is a dedicated sports journalist based in the UK. With a passion for various athletic disciplines, she covers everything from major league championships to local sports events, delivering up-to-the-minute updates and in-depth analysis.
