Littler’s World Championship victory caps a year in which his success helped grow the sport enormously.
In 2024, Littler was the most searched for sports person on Google in the UK and the third most searched for overall.
As well as winning the BBC’s Young Sports Personality of the Year award and coming second in the top prize, Littler has appeared on TV chat shows and was named one of Forbes’ 30 under 30 in Europe, which is uncharted territory for a darts player.
Dubbed the ‘lesser effect’, The Nuke is aware of what its success has done for darts, with a significant increase in the number of children’s academies being set up in the UK over the last 12 months.
“It’s good to see the family section filled with my dart shirts,” Littler said.
“I know what I have done for this sport and [it is] good for kids to experience Alexandra Palace.
“Even opening a darts academy in Warrington is something special for me in my hometown.”
In addition to Littler’s older brother, Littler’s parents joined him on stage at Alexandra Palace to watch him celebrate being crowned world champion.
“They put hard work and effort into me, but only to put them on stage and my brother will be 21st. [birthday] today is a good gift,” Littler said. “My sister didn’t want to go on stage.
“It’s not the normal life of a 17-year-old, but it shows what I’ve done for myself.
“My parents found the right sponsors for me and they also did a lot for me.”
Littler also spoke about the future of the PDC World Darts Championships and its home at Alexandra Palace in London.
The Ally Pally competition has been held every year since the 2008 edition, but Matchroom Sport chief executive Barry Hearn has suggested in recent interviews that the tournament may leave its iconic home as the sport’s popularity grows.
In response, Littler urged the PDC to consider player facilities when debating the relocation of facilities.
“The guys at PDC will do what’s best for them,” Littler told the BBC.
“But probably one of the main things is that you can easily get a 5,000- or 6,000-person arena, but you can also get tickets for guest acts [and] player training rooms.
“We need a place where we can do good practice and, of course, meet our family.”
