Luke Littler‘s beauty consultant girlfriend is a musical theatre fan who might have charmed Britain’s new teenage darts superstar with her sensational singing voice.
Eloise Milburn, 21, was seen embracing her 16-year-old boyfriend as he romped to a history-making semi-final place at the World Darts Championship on Monday – and a guaranteed £100,000 pay day.
During celebrations after his win, the ‘Prince of the Palace’ kissed and hugged his other half – herself an amateur darts player – before she shared a picture of the two of them on Instagram saying: ‘The dream carries on. Incredibly proud of you!’
Eloise has been keeping a low profile while supporting her boyfriend along with his family at the championships, although she has been spotted with him at recent football matches. She is set to be there again at his semi-final clash tonight against former world champion, Rob Cross.
Little is known about how Eloise and Luke met. But the 21-year-old theatre lover might have charmed the wonderkid with her singing voice – with a clip of her belting out a cover of Brit singing icon Adele’s number-one hit ‘Easy on Me’ notching up 2,500 views on TikTok.
As well as following her other half’s fairy-tale performance at Ally Pally, Avon sales representative Eloise is also a fan of Crystal Palace FC, sharing videos of herself at the London side’s FA Cup semi-final match in 2022 at Wembley.
She also suffered a recent cancer scare, having had a tumour removed from her leg. Opening up about her ordeal and sharing pictures from her surgery, Eloise wrote on TikTok: ‘Recovery was difficult but finally getting there ❤️ #operation #cancerscare #recovery #staystrong.’
Teenage darts sensation Luke Littler was seen getting a peck from his girlfriend after his victory at the World Darts Championship today
Darts power couple Luke Littler, 16, and Eloise Milburn, 21, share a snap together online
Trendy Eloise shows off her stunning figure during a series of pictures on social media
In a post on Instagram Eloise said she was ‘incredibly proud’ of her boyfriend after he reached the semi-finals of the World Darts Championship
Teenage prodigy Littler take part in his biggest match to date Littler when he faces 2018 world champion Rob ‘Voltage’ Cross from 7.30pm It will be Cross’s first appearance in the last four since he won the tournament in his debut outing.
Luke ‘The Nuke’ is guaranteed a £100,000 pay cheque even if he loses tonight’s match.
But if he wins, he will progress to the final where he will get £200,000 even if he fails to beat his opponent.
However, if the darting superstar is victorious, he will land the competition’s £500,000 top prize – and be crowned world champion.
And as the darts superstar prepares for his clash, his grandmother has made a plea to her bosses to be given the day off work if he makes it to the final later in the week.
Speaking to the Telegraph, Carol Littler said she and her husband Phil would travel down to London from their Runcorn home if she is allowed to take one day off at the town hall where she works.
The 64-year-old, who said her husbands talent as an amateur darts player was passed down to their grandson, told the paper: ‘He started playing darts when he was two and you could see it [the talent]. He was born to play darts. He gets it from his grandfather.
‘He is so laid back that he just doesn’t worry. He has nothing to worry about. He is 16.’
Phil Littler added: ‘I was never as good as he is. At the age of four he was playing on a proper board but needed a stool so he could reach up and pull his darts out.’
The 21-year-old (pictured) was seen kissing and hugging her boyfriend at Alexandra Palace on New Year’s Day
Eloise, who is an amateur darts player (pictured), said ‘the dream carries on’ after her boyfriend’s World Darts Championship success
Eloise, who is a beauty consultant, has been supporting Luke throughout the tournament
But since then his grandson has gone from strength to strength, and has now bagged himself a guaranteed £100,000 payday for reaching the semi-final of the tournament – becoming the youngest player in history to do so.
Remarkably, the youngster – who was a 150-1 outside before the tournament – is now just one game away from reaching the final, where he could bag £200,000 as a runner-up or £500,000 if he takes the title.
He’s also been made the frontrunner for the BBC’s Sports Personality of the Year award in 2024, with bookies William Hill installing him as 6-1 favourite.
Speaking of his victory on Monday, the delighted teen said he was confident with his chances, telling Sky Sports: ‘Wow, I’m in a semi-final on my debut. I’m glad to get here. I’ve earned it… It’s gone well today.
‘If I keep it up I’ve got a good chance [of winning] now. I’m dreaming. I’m two games away. I’m definitely thinking about lifting the title.’
Chants of ‘there’s only one Luke Littler’ rang out from inside Alexandra Palace and fans celebrated in the teenager’s win.
The youngster dominated the game, winning four straight sets back to back before Dolan threatened a comeback, taking the fifth.
But ultra-cool ‘Luke the Nuke’ refused to be beaten, and stormed through the final set, demolishing his experienced opponent at the oche.
Littler has earned a guaranteed £100,000 after reaching the semi-finals of the tournament at London’s Alexandra Palace
After his win, the teenager was seen posing for selfies with fans in the crowd
Littler hugs loved ones before his match with Brendan Dolan at Alexandra Palace
Luke Littler embraces a woman in the crowd after rushing over to celebrate with family following his victory
The fairy tale continues for Luke ‘The Nuke’ Littler as he reached the semi-finals of the darts world cup
Cries of ‘There’s only one Luke Littler ‘ rang out in Alexandra Palace as the teen toasted his win
The-16-year-old Warrington schoolboy swept aside veteran Brendan Dolan (pictured) 5-1 with ease during a thrilling showdown at London ‘s Alexandra Palace.
Caitlin Littler, Luke’s sister, said the dream continues after his stunning quarter-final victory
Caitlin posted this image following Luke’s victory today in the quarter finals
Asked about how he ‘regained his composure’, the teenager shrugged and said: ‘I was four nil up, I just thought I was one away. But Brendan came back, won the set, then we had a break. I just really wanted to get it over the line.’
And when asked whether an apparent wound on his right arm was from the Ally Pally wasp, he joked ‘I don’t actually know’.
He added: ‘I’ve seen it [the wasp] fluttering about there, but I had to focus and get over the line.’
For now he’s hoping for a lie-in and a draw in the semi-final played at night – he’s been waking up at 9am to prepare for his afternoon matches.
The teenage sensation was roared on by his family, who have been by his side throughout the Warrington schoolboy’s magical tournament.
Following his latest victory sister Caitlin Littler, who is a staunch supporter of her brother and regularly posts on social media about his exploits, proudly said: ‘The dream continues. Unbelievably proud of you.’
Writing in August after he won his second Modus Super Series gong she said: ‘Speechless he’s done it again! Never EVER been more proud of someone, what a night! You just continue to amaze us all everyday we all love you so much, keep smashing it.’
Child prodigy Luke has been honing his skills since he was a tot. His mother Lisa Buckley would upload videos of him as an 18-month-old toddler, still in nappies, giggling as he threw darts at a magnetic board.
She has even shared an adorable snap of a beaming Luke as a young boy standing in front of his first bullseye as he gives a victorious fist pump to the camera.
The 16-year-old Littler fired a 101.93 average and threw five maximums during a dominant display against Northern Irishman Dolan, who had beaten former world champions Gerwyn Price and Gary Anderson in his previous rounds before being outclassed in a 5-1 defeat.
Dolan appeared crestfallen after his defeat but embraced his teenage opponent on the stage to congratulate him.
The action sealed off yet another magical day for the teenage darts superstar, who has become a household name during the tournament – with fans adoringly dubbing him the ‘Ronaldo of darts’ after the famed Portuguese football ace.
It followed the boy wonder’s incredible display against his idol Raymond van Barneveld, who he beat 4-1 on Saturday to secure his place in the quarters.
And to toast his victory, Luke the Nuke celebrated with fans snapping selfies as he declared he would win the tournament outright. ‘I will be bringing it back,’ said Luke with a smile.
Littler now faces fellow Brit Rob Cross in the semi-finals, a previous world champion
The 16-year-old from Warrington has become a fan favourite with his ice-cool performances
Littler has now become the youngest player in history to reach a semi-final in the contest
Two women wearing ponchos and one with a fake moustache watch on at Ally Pally on New Year’s Day
A pair of darts fans dressed up as superheroes and wearing giant foam gloves smile at the camera
Fans in fancy dress, including two in 80s-style tracksuits, watch on at the World Darts Championship
A man wearing a Los Angeles Dodgers outfit with an inflatable baseball bat walks into Ally Pally today
A table of men dressed in tartan watch the proceedings at Ally Pally, with one holding up a supportive sign for Littler saying ‘Use the force Luke’
A man wearing a darts board over his head with his face as the bulls eye arrives at Ally Pally
One fan dressed up as the Mad Hatter from Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland
A couple dressed as Pennywise the clown and Georgie from horror franchise IT arrive at the darts
One group of fans turned up at the event dressed up in giant chicken costumes
Littler now faces fellow Brit Rob Cross in the semi-finals, a previous world champion who also won the tournament on his debut, toppling legendary Phil ‘The Power’ Taylor.
Reflecting on his upcoming opponent, Luke hailed him as ‘unbelievable’ but added: ‘I’m looking forward to playing Rob tomorrow night.’
Sky Sport pundit John Part gave his verdict on Luke’s performance, saying he was an ‘intelligent player’ who ‘knows the game, inside and out’.
‘He was great all the way. He knows what he’ doing. He said it. I’ve said it. He’s intelligent, he’s not new. He’s not new to darts. He’s young. He’s been playing a long time. He knows darts inside out,’ he said.
He added: ‘You might look at an MVG play or a Gerwyn Price and you might expect that kind of performance. And that’s that. But when it’s coming from out of left-field seemingly, it’s distracting, it’s alarming and makes you nervous in situations you normally wouldn’t be.’
But he has been warned by Barry Hearn, who owns the Professional Darts Corporation through his Matchroom brand, not to push himself too hard or he will burn out.
Speaking to the Telegraph, Hearn revealed the biggest job for him from now on would be ‘to actually control his diary’.
He told the paper: ‘With him it’s a question of drip-feeding his notoriety. If I was managing him I’d put his fee up to an astronomical number and then, by the laws of supply and demand, that will cut down the possibility of him being burnt out.’
Six months after leaving secondary school, the 16-year-old has captured the imagination of the sporting public and now he is only one win away from booking his spot in the final on Wednesday.
Brendan Dolan appeared crestfallen at his loss to the rising young superstar
But despite his defeat, gracious Irishman Dolan embraced his teenage opponent
The child prodigy has been honing his skills since he was a tot. Luke’s mother Lisa would upload adorable videos of him as an 18-month-old toddler, still in nappies, giggling as he threw darts at a magnetic board.
Describing his childhood, Luke – who now says he has ‘no-one to fear’ in his world title run – told journalists: ‘I would just wake up, play on my Xbox, have some food, have a chuck on the board and go to bed. That’s it.
‘I don’t engage with anything outside the house. I’m not into anything outside the house, whatever my mates get up to. I just stay level-headed.’
Littler was born 20 days after five-time world champion Van Barneveld defeated Phil Taylor 7-6 in the greatest World Championship final of all time in 2007. It is testament to his rise that the Dutchman told Littler that he ‘can go all the way’ after their clash.
Coming into the tournament at Alexandra Palace a 150-1 outsider, remarkable Luke is now 7-2 second favourite to win behind Michael Van Gerwen, with a former tutor at the teen’s youth darts club declaring: ‘What he’s got I couldn’t teach. He’s the Ronaldo of darts.’
Speaking about his ice-cool demeanour at the oche, Luke added: ‘I am daring to dream now. I am only three wins away. I’m so young, only 16, I have nothing to fear. I have no-one to fear.
‘My game can be better than anyone’s on the day and I have shown it against one of the greatest players to have graced the stage.
Prodigy Luke Littler, 16, has been throwing darts since he was a toddler and is now on course for a quarter-final clash at the world championships. He is pictured with his first bullseye
As well as playing darts, Luke said he would often relax at home on his Xbox growing up
Luke Littler, 16, has taken the PDC World Championship by storm and is in the quarter-finals
Littler pictured as a child wearing a Pepper Pig t-shirt. The darts superstar is only one match away from reaching the final of the World Darts Championship
‘Do I feel unstoppable? Whatever Luke Littler turns up, on whatever day I play, will determine the outcome.’
Luke trained at St Helens Darts Academy, leaving club secretary Karl Holden blown away by his natural talent. ‘I’ve seen a lot of good ‘uns,’ he said. ‘I’ve watched them all when they were younger but I knew Luke was going to cause a lot of problems… He’s just a unique kid with crazy talent.’
Rising star Luke entered main competitions while still in primary, going against adults at least a decade his senior – some more than three times his age.
Karl added: ‘In darts you’ve got to have sheer bottle to keep your nerve. He’s got an abundance of confidence. Even before he was 13 we said ‘listen, we can’t help you any more, you’re too good’. Three months before he was 11 we had to throw him in the deep end with the under-21s. It took him six months before he won his first one.
‘He was playing a lot of county youth players. What he’s got I couldn’t teach. He’s the Ronaldo of darts.’
Littler’s talent was clear from the video of him throwing darts in his nappies when he was hitting the 20s with ease.
This was followed up by a video of him again demonstrating all his natural talent aged three – which he shared ahead of his clash with Van Barneveld – as Littler imitated his idol in the clip with his wide arms celebrations.
Littler’s insane skill saw him dominating the Junior Darts Corporation tour, with his high eyebrows catching the attention of the sporting world.
The ‘Ronaldo of Darts’: Luke Littler speaks to the press after his last 16 victory on Saturday
A video of Littler playing darts at just 18-months-old went viral earlier in the tournament
Littler has gained cult hero status for his post-victory food celebrations which have included a kebab (above) and chicken burger
Littler’s mother, shared a photo of him after hitting his first ever bullseye at a young age
His high point came when he won the 2023 PDC World Darts Youth Championship and it was only a matter of time until he made his mark at senior level.
In fact, he started to play in senior tournaments during his early teen years, winning his first title at the Irish Open aged 14 in 2021.
Littler – who was given his first proper dartboard aged four – has since won several other tournaments such as the British Open, Modus Super Series (twice), Romanian Open and Gibraltar Open, where he also hit a prestigious nine-darter.
Yet there was no doubt his appearance at this year’s PDC World Championship was his biggest challenge yet.
While his talent was known beforehand after securing a PDC Tour Card for 2024-25 due to his performances, he still came in to the tournament as a pre-tournament outsider.
Littler – who revealed in August that he only practices for between 30 minutes to an hour a day – has so far swept aside Christian Kist, Andrew Gilding, Matt Campbell and Van Barneveld, breaking records along the way.
His first round victory over Kist saw him become the youngest winner at the tournament, while he also posted the highest average for a debutant (106.12) and it was there where he really began to endear himself to the nation.
Littler’s celebrations saw him take a trip to the kebab shop to celebrate in what has become a tradition for Ally Pally’s boy wonder.
Littler also posted a throwback video of himself imitating Raymond van Barneveld aged three
He then thrashed his idol, who told him after he could go all the way and win the tournament
Littler (pictured in 2020) dominated the Junior Darts Corporation tour during his early teens
The Prince of the Palace received his first proper darts board at the tender age of just four
His parents had him out in pubs five nights a week practicing his craft from the age of eight
Serenaded by chants of ‘you’ve got school in the morning’ in the second round, Littler proved that his first-round win was no fluke as he demolished Gilding before celebrating with a late-night chicken burger.
Between his victory over Gilding on December 21 and his third-round tie with Campbell on December 27, Littler – who ditched his Xbox for Christmas practice – still found time to celebrate the festivities.
This included his mum posting a photo on social media of him opening his presents, with the image a reminder of his tender age and since going viral. Fans joked in the replies whether Littler even knew if Father Christmas wasn’t real yet.
His new-found fame has also seen Littler inundated with media requests yet the teen is seemingly relishing the attention.
Read More: World News | Entertainment News | Celeb News
Mail Online
