How Faith Millar Became the Heart and Soul of Darts Star Luke Littler During Tough Times of Crowd Abuse

HIS extraordinary darts talent has transformed him into a sporting icon and multi-millionaire – so quickly, perhaps, that we often forget Luke Littler is still just a teen.

It was only last year that he became legally allowed to buy booze, place a bet on football or vote in a general election.

Luke Littler wiping away tears at the Premier League darts final at the O2 on Thursday Credit: Alamy Luke with girlfriend Faith Millar at the Brits in February Credit: Getty

But fans were given a sharp reminder this week as during his most extraordinary interview to date, fresh from regaining his .

Following his on Thursday in a final for the ages, recalled the jeers he had received during the tournament, admitting he had even considered quitting because supporters’ hatred was becoming too much.

It was only during the final ­presentation, as he sobbed on stage, that the world realised how much he had been personally affected by “fickle” fans.

Holding the £350,000 trophy, the upset he had bottled up for weeks — confiding only to his girlfriend — came pouring out.

Speaking to Sky Sports before the interview was cut short due to his emotional state, Littler said: “It’s been a rollercoaster.

“Four weeks bottom of the table and on the fifth night, I won my first night.

“It was tough. I was down bad and now I am here with the trophy.

“I said to Faith, ‘I don’t want to do it any more.’ The crowds week-in, week-out . . .

“I said to her, ‘I am down bad’.”

— who acts like a big brother figure to Littler, despite being his biggest rival — said: “I know what he’s going through but we all want to see him play.

“The fans do want to see him play because I think darts needs Luke Littler, Luke Littler doesn’t need darts.”

So how on earth had things come to this for one of our modern sporting icons?

As The Sun’s darts correspondent, I have covered Littler since he emerged on the world scene in December 2023 and was present at all of his 20 matches across three campaigns.

In all of our dealings, he has been consistently friendly and amiable with the Press.

Away from the cameras, he likes to talk about football, particularly his team , and we even discussed the club’s latest signings only last Wednesday, at the O2 Arena.

Frankly, the way he has handled himself in media duties, in spite of a phalanx of cameras, is a lesson to much older rivals.

Nonetheless, in recent times, Littler has increasingly found himself the target of boo-boys watching or attending the live darts.

The fact he is 19 is often overlooked by hecklers — normally blokes twice his age — whenever they ­whistle or vent X-rated abuse at him during walk-ons.

Some of the negativity he has ­suffered had been self-inflicted, ­coming in the fallout of his on the ­Manchester stage on April 2.

During that clash, he tried to whip up the crowd in his favour, which was the wrong thing to do as his opponent was throwing at the time.

In interviews after the incident, he did not offer any contrition for his unsportsmanlike antics.

Had he ­apologised, some of this hostility might have died down or gone away.

Yet, in truth, none of Littler’s crowd-baiting antics have warranted the level of abuse he has suffered in recent months.

During his post-final press conference this week, he described the earsplitting din he received from fans in Holland on April 16 as the “worst I’ve ever experienced”.

Champ Luke proudly holding the trophy after triumphing at a close-run final this week Credit: Reuters Luke and Faith at the Cheltenham Festival in March Credit: Getty

He went on to explain how, when back home, he poured out his heart to , who he has dated for more than a year since splitting from his ex, .

In a private conversation, he told her he was thinking about quitting this year’s Premier League due to the constant abuse.

Neither his parents, Anthony and Lisa, nor the Professional Darts Corporation, the sport’s governing body, were aware of how close he came to walking away.

Littler said: “I’m so grateful for my family and obviously Faith. I don’t know if my mum and dad were shocked because I didn’t really speak to them about it as much as I did to Faith.

“Maybe I should have spoken to them. But you know us men — we don’t want to talk.

“I had to speak to Faith and tell her how I was feeling.

“I just kept saying to her, ‘I don’t want to do it, I don’t want to do it’.

“She just kept repeating herself — and here we are today with the trophy.

“Sat at home — I didn’t even want to go out. Didn’t want to go to the next Premier League night.”

He continued: “We’ve all got feelings, not just as darts players. We’re just human and we just want to get on with our lives.”

, turned pro aged 16, having left school with one GCSE in PE, and within two and a half years has transcended global darts.

He is a normal working-class lad who likes a kebab or Chinese takeaway, plays computer games online with his pals, and prefers to spend quiet nights at home with his parents.

Littler hugging rival Humphries at the Utilita Arena in Sheffield last week Credit: PA Humphries congratulates Littler after being beaten by the teen at the tournament Credit: Alamy

Yet perhaps we under-appreciate the fact he is growing up and maturing into a man in the full glare of top-level professional sport.

Imagine, for instance, what it must feel like to go from 4,000 Instagram followers to more than two million within a few months.

And, of course, the catcalls are in part because Littler is simply a serial winner — and people love to root for the underdog.

The more he dominates, the more he will be targeted, and that is the same across most sports.

, the back-to-back Masters golf champion, has his detractors despite his success.

, the seven-time world champion, is one of Britain’s greatest sports stars — but he receives the hate, too.

Although Littler has earned more than £5million in prize money, endorsements and sponsorship deals, he is not flashy, spending his winnings on boxes of football cards which cost less than £100.

And what is remarkable is how he has kept his nerve in spite of the hostility, winning 13 of his past 15 games that went to a last-leg decider.

So far this calendar year, Littler has won FOUR major titles and is eyeing a clean sweep of the top 11 televised tournaments in 2026.

There are seven left to go, and if he carries on playing like he does, few would bet against him enjoying complete domination.

The question is, what will happen if the booing continues?

At some point in the future, will Littler think that enough is enough and walk away for good?

Humphries, who received “hate” when he beat Littler in the 2024 world final, says: “Everyone thinks he’s a robot but he’s not. He is a normal person — a good kid as well.”

For now, it appears Faith will keep Littler going.

His 19-year-old girlfriend — a beautician from Wigan — has been his rock ever since they went public with their relationship last June.

Faith, whose Instagram profile has similarly mushroomed to 73,000 followers, is present at all the darts events and has followed him across the globe from New York to Australia and Dubai.

Speaking about the perils of life online, Littler once said: “I am always on social media. I see everything.”

But his home has been a port in the storm from the recent swirl of negativity.

He said: “When I’m at home I turn to the family more and obviously Faith as well.

“She’s been massive for me.”