Sixteen-year-old Luke Littler marked his PDC World Championship debut with a 3-0 victory against experienced Dutchman Christian Kist at Alexandra Palace.
Here, the PA news agency takes a look at five things you may not know about dart’s teenage sensation ‘The Nuke’, who turns 17 next month.
Sweet 16
Littler was born in Runcorn, Cheshire, on January 21, 2007 and began playing darts aged nine. He won the England Youth Grand Prix in 2019 and began to rack up tournament wins. He became England Youth Open champion in 2021 and won his first senior title at the Irish Open later that year. In 2022 he won the Welsh Open and this year notched further senior titles at the Isle of Man Classic, Gibraltar Open, British Open and British Classic.
Bookies take heed
After his impressive victory on the biggest stage against Kist on Wednesday night – Littler hit seven 180s and averaged 106.12 – the teenager spoke of his pride at making the highest average on debut at the PDC World Championship. He made 50 per cent of his doubles during an electric display that has seen his odds to lift the Sid Waddell Trophy slashed to 14-1, making him seventh favourite.
‘You’ve got school in the morning’
During Littler’s stunning win against Kist, a full house at at Alexandra Palace erupted into a chorus of ‘You’ve got school in the morning’ and the Warrington-based teenager responded by pumping his chest as he revelled in the atmosphere. His performance was not, however, a complete shock. His breakthrough year in 2023, in which he also won the Gibraltar Open and the PDC World Youth Championship, saw him installed as heavy 3-10 favourite to beat Kist.
‘Everybody Take a Shot’
Littler’s walk-on music at Alexandra Palace is Greenlight by American rapper Pitbull and features the lyrics “Red light, green light, everybody take a shot. Red light, green light, give me everything you got”. It was released in 2016 as the second single off Pitbull’s 10th studio album Climate Change and the video, filmed in Miami, has over 99 million views on YouTube.
Favourite to progress
Next up for the darts prodigy is a second-round clash at Alexandra Palace on Thursday night against 53-year-old Andrew Gilding, from Ipswich. Gilding won the Cazoo UK Open in Minehead earlier this year when he beat Michael van Gerwen 11–10 in a last-leg decider and is currently 20th in the PDC rankings, but despite Gilding’s obvious experience advantage, Littler is 1-4 favourite to progress through to the third round.
Two-time winner Peter Wright crashed out of the PDC World Darts Championship in the second round after a 3-0 defeat to Jim Williams at Alexandra Palace.
The 53-year-old, who was dressed as the Grinch complete with lime-green hair, ensured a miserable Christmas after posting a dismal three-dart average of less than 84.
Williams, a BDO runner-up in 2020, was also far from his best in a poor quality clash, admitting afterwards: “I was fighting myself all the way and it’s a little bit frustrating – but hopefully we’ll get there.”
A star was born earlier as 16-year-old Luke Littler marked his World Championship debut with a blistering 3-0 win over experienced Dutchman Christian Kist.
Littler showed no nerves as he hit seven 180s and finished with an extraordinary average of 110 to mark himself out as a genuine contender for the crown.
The teenager told Sky Sports: “I can’t believe how quickly I settled in. I was a bit nervous going to the stage but as soon as I found my rhythm I was in.”
Also in the Wednesday evening session, Richard Veenstra eased past Ben Robb 3-0 while Ryan Joyce was a 3-1 winner over Alex Spellman.
In the afternoon, 16th seed Ross Smith eased to a 3-1 victory over Niels Zonneveld before being stung by a wasp on stage.
“There’s the wasp,” Smith said in his post-match TV interview as he noticed the insect.
The Englishman then recoiled in pain and said: “He’s just stung me like a good one. Little bugger.”
Smith, a prolific maximum hitter, was below his best but still produced seven 180s and the second 170 checkout of the tournament to see off plucky Dutchman Zonnevald.
“It wasn’t a great game and I didn’t play nowhere near what I can,” said Smith. “But I can enjoy my turkey and pigs in blankets now.
“I tried to get some fire in my belly, but it was really difficult. I was a bit nervy the last couple of days, everyone is because you just want to get through.
“I will relax now and hopefully be better after Christmas.”
Exeter debutant Owen Bates lost a two-set lead as Ireland’s Steve Lennon fought back to win 3-2.
Lennon won nine of the last 11 legs against the 21-year-old crowd favourite to claim the win needed to retain his PDC Tour card.
“I don’t know how I won that,” said Lennon. “I was panicking deep down, it’s a massive win.”
Bates had qualified through the PDC Challenge Tour and emerged with huge credit from a pulsating contest, hitting five 180s and producing 101 and 108 second-set checkouts.
But Bates missed five doubles for a 2-1 lead in the fourth set as Lennon, who hit six maximums, grew stronger and booked a second-round meeting with Welshman Jonny Clayton.
Lennon’s compatriot William O’Connor had a far more comfortable time with a 3-0 victory over Bhav Patel.
Meanwhile Poland’s Cork-based Radek Szaganski overcame Finland’s Marko Kantele 3-2 with a final set 142 checkout helping him through to a second-round clash with five-time world champion Raymond van Barneveld.
Ross Smith was stung by a wasp on stage at the World Championship after avoiding second-round pain to Niels Zonneveld.
Number 16 seed Smith eased to a 3-1 victory over Zonneveld before running into problems at Alexandra Palace.
“There’s the wasp,” Smith said in his post-match Sky Sports interview as he noticed the insect.
The Englishman then recoiled in pain and said: “He’s just stung me like a good one. Little bugger.”
Smith, a prolific maximum hitter, was below his best but still produced seven 180s and the second 170 checkout of the tournament to see off plucky Dutchman Zonnevald.
“It wasn’t a great game and I didn’t play nowhere near what I can,” said Smith. “But I can enjoy my turkey and pigs in blankets now.
“I tried to get some fire in my belly, but it was really difficult. I was a bit nervy the last couple of days, everyone is because you just want to get through.
“I will relax now and hopefully be better after Christmas.”
Exeter debutant Owen Bates lost a two-set lead as Ireland’s Steve Lennon fought back to win 3-2.
Lennon won nine of the last 11 legs against the 21-year-old crowd favourite to claim the win needed to retain his PDC Tour card.
“I don’t know how I won that,” said Lennon. “I was panicking deep down, it’s a massive win.”
Bates had qualified through the PDC Challenge Tour and emerged with huge credit from a pulsating contest, hitting five 180s and producing 101 and 108 second-set checkouts.
But Bates missed five doubles for a 2-1 lead in the fourth set as Lennon, who hit six maximums, grew stronger and booked a second-round meeting with Welshman Jonny Clayton.
Lennon’s compatriot William O’Connor had a far more comfortable time with a 3-0 victory over Bhav Patel.
The Indian left-hander was close to a 157 finish but he failed to win a single leg and the impressive O’Connor – who hit 64 per cent of his doubles and averaged 98.74 – will play Chris Dobey next.
Poland’s Cork-based Radek Szaganski took to the stage on his Alexandra Palace debut wearing the colours of the Irish flag.
Szaganski overcame Finland’s Marko Kantele 3-2 with a final set 142 checkout helping him through to a second-round clash with five-time world champion Raymond van Barneveld.
Michael van Gerwen began his bid for a third World Championship title by easing into the third round.
The Dutchman has not won the biggest tournament in darts since 2019 and is ready to end that drought, opening his campaign with a 3-0 win over Keane Barry.
The highlight was an impressive 167 checkout, finishing with an average of 98.17 at Alexandra Palace.
Van Gerwen knows there is room for improvement but is happy to be in the next round.
“I’m a little disappointed with my scoring, the most important thing is I won my first game,” he said during his on-stage interview.
“You don’t want to let yourself down, you have to fight for every leg, and when things like the 167 work it gives you a great boost.
“It’s the first round of the World Championship no one wants to lose, there is pressure on me, like there is all the top boys. The most important thing is I’m back after Christmas.”
Matt Campbell is flying home for Christmas after sending 13th seed James Wade crashing out.
The world number 57 beat the four-time semi-finalist 3-2 to record the biggest win of his career and win back-to-back matches at Ally Pally for the first time in his career.
He will now return home to Canada before returning for the post-Christmas last 32.
“The flight back is going to suck,” he said. “I have been doing it for two years flying back and forth, I’ve got to the Worlds twice.
“I think I need to fly home and see my family more than anything. If I stay awake when I fly back there is no jetlag, right?”
Wade, who became the first seeded player to exit the tournament, did not shake Campbell’s hand after the match but the Canadian had no hard feelings.
“I woudldn’t be happy either,” he said. “I guarantee if I see him now he would come down and be like nothing happened. But in that moment, we work all hard all year for this, I don’t blame him for being disappointed.”
Keegan Brown will not want to hear the name Boris Krcmar again after enduring a chastening afternoon.
Brown was left confused when MC John McDonald mistakenly called out his opponent’s name when he was due to walk onto the stage before the first-round match.
Things got even worse once play began as the Croatian cruised to a 3-1 win.
Brown took the first set but things went downhill from there, with Krcmar coming back to reach the second round for the second successive year, with Dirk van Duijvenbode waiting for him in the next round.
Leading women’s player Mikuru Suzuki is still waiting for her first win at the Alexandra Palace after she was beaten 3-0 by German Ricardo Pietreczko.
Suzuki follows Fallon Sherrock out of the tournament.
There were also wins for Steve Beaton, Jeffrey de Graaf, Tomoya Goto and Mike De Decker.
James Wade became the first seed to crash out of the World Championship after losing to world number 57 Matt Campbell.
The Canadian produced the biggest win of his career as he came from 2-1 down to beat the four-time semi-finalist 3-2.
Wade, seeded 13th, was in good form, having reached a final, semi-final and quarter-final in the last three major tournaments, but is out of the main event of the year before Christmas.
Keegan Brown will not want to hear the name Boris Krcmar again after enduring a chastening afternoon.
Brown was left confused when MC John McDonald mistakenly called out his opponent’s name when he was due to walk onto the Alexandra Palace stage before the first-round match.
Things got even worse once play began as the Croatian cruised to a 3-1 win.
Brown took the first set but things went downhill from there, with Krcmar coming back to reach the second round for the second successive year, with Dirk van Duijvenbode waiting for him in the next round.
Elsewhere in the afternoon session, Jeffrey de Graaf produced a comeback to beat Ritchie Edhouse 3-2 while Tomoya Goto beat Ian White 3-1.
Luke Humphries shrugged off a sluggish start to his PDC World Darts Championship campaign despite a 3-0 win over Lee Evans at Alexandra Palace.
Third seed Humphries is seen as one of the strongest contenders for the title after overall wins at the World Grand Prix, Grand Slam of Darts and Players Championship Finals in recent months.
But he admitted he had been let off the hook by Evans, who hit a 170 check-out in the second set but hit only five of 24 checkouts.
Humphries told Sky Sports: “I was not at my best but the most important thing is it felt good, and the first game is always the toughest.
“I am through to the next round and I won’t play the same in the next round. I am not disappointed because I won 3-0 which is what I wanted.
“I feel like that is the hardest game in the whole tournament to get through, so I’m happy and in the next game I will be so much better than that.”
There was no repeat performance for Fallon Sherrock four years after she made history by beating Ted Evetts to become the first woman to win a match at the championship.
Sherrock took the first set against opponent Jermaine Wattimena, making his 10th appearance in the tournament, but fell away badly and lost the next three sets.
Sherrock admitted: “Obviously, I’m gutted with the result. I had spells when I played well tonight but I missed chances at key moments and they cost me.
“Full credit to Jermaine, he was the better player on the night and he punished me when I missed chances.”
Jim Williams shrugged off a mathematical blunder to whitewash Guyana’s Norman Madhoo and cruise into the second round.
Williams posted no score in the first leg of the third set when he wrongly checked out on 70 rather than his required 68 but still recovered to win all nine legs in a comfortable 3-0 victory.
The Welshman, who was the runner-up in the final BDO tournament in 2020, will next face former champion Peter Wright in the second round on Wednesday.
Matt Campbell claimed his first win on the Alexandra Palace stage after surviving a gutsy comeback from Lourence Ilagan to clinch a 3-2 win.
Campbell eased through the first two sets but missed double five to seal a 3-0 win and instead Ilagan checked out on 100 to take the set and prolong the match.
Another three-figure check-out saw Ilagan level the match, but Campbell came on strong in the deciding set, winning all three legs in a row, finishing with a flourish as he took the match with a 128 check-out.
Ricky Evans beat Simon Adams 3-0 while in the solitary second-round match played on Sunday afternoon, 14th seed Joe Cullen proved too strong for Darren Penhall as he also racked up a 3-0 win.
Also in Sunday’s late action, Florian Hempel came back from behind to beat young Irishman Dylan Slevin 3-1, while Niels Zonneveld beat Darren Webster by the same score.
Jim Williams shrugged off a mathematical blunder to whitewash Guyana’s Norman Madhoo and cruise into the second round of the PDC World Darts Championship at Alexandra Palace.
Williams posted no score in the first leg of the third set when he wrongly checked out on 70 rather than his required 68 but still recovered to win all nine legs in a comfortable 3-0 victory.
The Welshman, who was the runner-up in the final BDO tournament in 2020, will next face former champion Peter Wright in the second round on Wednesday.
Matt Campbell claimed his first win on the Alexandra Palace stage after surviving a gutsy comeback from Lourence Ilagan to clinch a 3-2 win.
Campbell eased through the first two sets but missed double five to seal a 3-0 win and instead Ilagan checked out on 100 to take the set and prolong the match.
Another three-figure check-out saw Ilagan level the match, but Campbell came on strong in the deciding set, winning all three legs in a row, finishing with a flourish as he took the match with a 128 check-out.
Ricky Adams beat Simon Adams 3-0, while in the solitary second-round match played on Sunday afternoon 14th seed Joe Cullen proved too strong for Darren Penhall as he also racked up a 3-0 win.
Gary Anderson began his quest for a third World Championship title in style with a handsome victory over Simon Whitlock.
The Scot, who won back-to-back crowns at Alexandra Palace in 2015 and 2016, has been looking back to his best this year after a lull and eased through to the third round with a 3-0 success over the Australian.
He set the tone with a 180 with his opening throw of the match and won the first five legs to take command.
Anderson, who averaged 98.29, saw it out in style, taking out 116 for the highest checkout of the match.
“The first set I played better, but I have known Simon a long, long time, he struggled up there,” the Scot said. “But happy with the win.
“I am trying to get back, I didn’t want to play darts in the last three years. I am enjoying it again, win or lose, I am enjoying it.”
Jamie Hughes was fighting back tears after finally breaking his Ally Pally duck.
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The world number 62 had lost his previous four matches on the big stage but put that right by beating David Cameron 3-1.
He said: “I am probably playing the worst I have ever played in my life and I have just won a game. I have played better and lost. I am so, so happy to finally get a win on that stage.
“Hopefully that has got the duck off my back and I can play my natural game.”
Dave Chisnall sent Cameron Menzies back to the day job after knocking him in the afternoon session.
Menzies had booked his place in the second round on Friday night after working a half-day as a plumber, having to fix a burst pipe and repair a kitchen sink.
He was back in action on Saturday afternoon, having at least had the morning off, but could not repeat the trick and 11th seed Chisnall came from a set down to win 3-1.
Menzies, who is hoping to make the transition to become a full-time darts player, will be back at the Palace on Sunday to support his girlfriend Fallon Sherrock, but his run at this year’s tournament is over.
Lee Evans reckons it would not be a major shock if he beats Luke Humphries in the second round.
The 35-year-old marked his Ally Pally debut with a 3-0 win over Sandro Eric Sosing to set up a date with his former playing partner Humphries, who is the favourite to win the tournament.
“What a draw. Good job I know him very well,” he said. “I know his game very well, he knows me. We played pairs years ago, played in the same teams, I will need to play my best game without a doubt,” Evans said.
“It is a free shot. If he goes to that A place, I think I have got the A place to match, but he is a level above everyone at the moment.
“I reckon I can push him close if I can play my best. If I beat Luke Humphries I think there will be bigger shocks. For me I don’t think it would be a shock. Everyone else might, but I wouldn’t.”
There were also first-round wins for Connor Scutt, Darren Penhall, Scott Williams and Keane Barry.
Cameron Menzies went from fixing a kitchen sink to throwing his way into the second round of the World Championship, where reigning champion Michael Smith survived an opening-night scare.
Menzies is a plumber by trade and had to do a day’s work on Friday, changing a waste basin, fixing a burst water main and repairing a kitchen sink before facing Austrian Rusty-Jake Rodriguez at the Alexandra Palace.
The colourful Scot won 3-0 to book his place in the second round where he will play Dave Chisnall on Saturday afternoon.
“I never thought this would happen. I was really panicky today,” he said. “I was working but it kind of chilled me out, it made me realise that darts is a hobby and a very lucky one, too.
“I changed the waste in a basin, I couldn’t get the pedestal out because it was concreted in. Then I did an emergency which was a burst water main and I fixed it, then I went to a tenant’s house to fix a bath and she wouldn’t let me in.
“Then I went to another job to fix a kitchen sink, so my job is maintenance-wise. Basically, it is burst pipes and blocked drains, it’s not pretty.
“I was so nervous, I knew that game meant a lot. What happens now is a bonus but winning that game meant the world to me.
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“Going to work chilled me out. It made me realise that it is not the be-all and end-all. I am a worker. I would like to be in a situation where I can give up my job and do this full-time, but I have a long way to go.”
Menzies will be able to take bragging rights back to the home he shares with girlfriend Fallon Sherrock, who is in first-round action on Monday night.
The 34-year-old was happy to avoid his girlfriend in the draw because he thinks she would “batter” him.
“You don’t understand how many issues we had,” Menzies said. “She went down for the draw, I was on the computer going, ‘Please’. There’s a handful of players you don’t want to draw and Fallon is up there.
“I play Fallon in the house and I beat her eight times out of 10 but she has a moment when she smashes me, which is fair enough.
“I know for a fact up there on the stage she would batter me. It’s her stage, she would batter me. I was like, ‘Please not Fallon’.
“Everyone was texting me asking if I was playing. Rusty is a very good player but I would take him over Fallon in a heartbeat.”
Smith began the defence of his 2023 title in nervy fashion as he was taken all the way by world number 66 Kevin Doets.
‘Bully Boy’, who beat Michael van Gerwen to win a maiden Ally Pally crown at the start of the year, was facing the prospect of becoming the first defending champion to go out at the first hurdle since 2009 when it went to a final-set decider with the Dutchman having the throw.
But a brilliant 142 checkout in the opening leg of the fifth set settled any nerves and Smith was able to go on and win 3-2, ensuring a happy Christmas as he does not return to action until December 27.
2010 finalist Simon Whitlock won a final-leg decider to see off Paolo Nebrida, claiming a 3-2 win to set up a second-round match with Gary Anderson.
Fallon Sherrock knows she has to prove herself on the World Championship stage again.
Sherrock became darting royalty in 2019 when she was the first woman to win a match at the PDC’s biggest tournament at Alexandra Palace, reaching the third round.
She was nicknamed ‘Queen of the Palace’ after that landmark few days but has not won another match there in two return visits.
The 29-year-old is back this year and is hoping to prove that her exploits in beating Ted Evetts and Mensur Suljovic four years ago were not a fluke.
“I feel like I need to prove why I am coming back,” she told the PA news agency. “I know I have got the game and every time I have been so close, the scoreline might not have come out the way I thought the game went.
“It has always been so close. I feel like the more games I have played it makes me even stronger every time I go back. It is going to happen again, I don’t know when, but I am going to win again and hopefully, it is this year.
“I always love this time of year, it is great memories going back there.
“I don’t feel expectation anymore, I maybe did going back the first time, but this is my fourth time now.
“People don’t treat me any differently anymore, they know I am good at darts and know I can win a match. I feel like I am part of the set-up. It doesn’t scare me playing these players anymore.”
Sherrock’s life changed forever when she burst on to the scene.
She is a regular on the lucrative exhibition circuit, was made an MBE this summer and also appeared on the reboot of famous TV show Bullseye.
“It is mad. My whole life has completely changed,” she said. “I do sit there and think how lucky I am, not a lot of people get the opportunities I get.
“I always think your life is planned out for some reason. All the bad things that happen, good things come out of it and I think these are the good things. I just have to take every opportunity I can.
“Anything I do, it is going to propel the sport for the women, so I try not to think about it too much.
“I want to win and help progress the game and push the sport further. If I can do it again at the Worlds it will help the sport more.”
Winning the whole tournament might seem optimistic given the quality of some of the leading players, but Sherrock, who has hit two nine-dart finishes this year, says anything is possible.
“I can go as far as I want,” she said. “I take each game as it comes, I never think too far ahead. I have got to the quarter-finals before in main TV events, the possibilities are endless.
“You have to take each game as it comes, in a big tournament like this there is no point looking too far in advance. I just want to play these players all of the time, I want to see how I can hold the pressure.”
Christmas must be around the corner as the PDC World Darts Championship starts at Alexandra Palace on Friday.
Two-and-a-half weeks of darts await before the champion is crowned on January 3.
Here, the PA news agency looks at five competitors to keep an eye on during the tournament.
Michael van Gerwen
The Dutchman has not had the best year by his impeccable standards, with the Premier League his only major title, but he must still be considered the man to beat at Alexandra Palace.
When he fires few can keep the pace with him and Van Gerwen has the bit between his teeth as he hunts a fourth title.
He has lost twice in the final since his last victory in 2019 so is due a return to the winner’s circle.
Luke Humphries
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The 28-year-old will arrive at Ally Pally as favourite after a remarkable run of form in 2023.
‘Coolhand’ has won three of the last four majors as he followed the World Grand Prix title in October with wins at the Grand Slam of Darts and the Players Championship.
No one is playing more consistently than Humphries at the minute and if he can handle the pressure of expectation, he could go all the way.
Michael Smith
Smith is the defending champion and earned himself a place in folklore last year when he beat Van Gerwen in one of the greatest finals of all time, throwing a nine-finish in a memorable leg.
‘Bully Boy’ has taken a step away from the game this year, but has not really performed to his usual standard when he has played in the major tournaments.
But coming back to defend the title is sure to spur him on and if he can find his range over the coming weeks, he will be difficult to stop.
Fallon Sherrock
The ‘Queen of the Palace’ is back at the place where life changed for her in 2020 when she became the first woman to win a match at the PDC World Championship.
The 29-year-old has not won a game in her two appearances since then, but will be a good bet to get some more wins under her belt after a good year.
She became the first woman to hit a nine-dart finish in PDC history in March and then repeated the feat in front of the television cameras at August’s Modus Super Series.
Luke Littler
Few will have heard of Luke Littler but he is definitely a name for the future.
Just 16, Littler is causing waves in the game and his victory in the World Youth Championship made people sit up and take notice.
Winning the tournament this year may be a stretch too far but he will be hoping to take a few scalps and no one will want to play him.
Michael Smith is not ready to stop at winning just one World Championship title and wants to become a multiple champion.
The 33-year-old lifted the Sid Waddell Trophy for the first time in January after a stunning performance against Michael van Gerwen in the final, hitting a nine-dart finish in the greatest leg in the history of the sport.
He begins the defence of his crown on Friday night, playing against either Kevin Doets or Stowe Buntz, and is dreaming of joining Gary Anderson, Adrian Lewis, John Part and Peter Wright on two titles.
“I always wanted to be a world champion, now I have done it the dream is to be a multiple,” Smith told the PA news agency.
“I don’t want to finish my career with just one star on my chest, I don’t know how many I can get, but the minimum is two now. When I get to two the minimum will be three.
“I don’t feel the pressure but it is going to be like that. Everyone wants to take it off me, everyone playing wants to be world champion so I am going to have a target on my back.
“But whoever I am playing they are going to see a picture of me holding the trophy on the wall. It could either put them off or spur them on. But I know I can look at it and be spurred on.
“This is the one, you have got to bring your A-game, it is about bringing it on stage now. Once it clicks like it does in practice who knows what can happen. I can’t wait to get my hands on it again.”
Smith’s victory in the final contained the greatest leg in the history of the sport when ‘Bully Boy’ completed a nine-dart finish seconds after Van Gerwen had missed.
It produced some mesmeric television footage, with Sky Sports’ Wayne Mardle’s commentary going viral.
And Smith spent most of the early part of 2023 watching the leg back.
“That night I won it, I must have watched it 200 times,” he added. “Even the full match replay I have watched a couple of times. I’m trying to leave it in the past, I’m trying to focus on winning it again and then I can watch it all again. It has been good, weird, has been good.
“I lived my childhood dream but if I hadn’t have won it, it wouldn’t define my life. I am proud of winning it, but I am not going through life where I am thinking if I had never won it I wouldn’t have been successful.”
Gerwyn Price is also aiming for a second world title, but if he was to win, it would feel like a first.
His 2021 crown came behind closed doors due to the coronavirus pandemic, so he is yet to taste the authentic experience.
“This is what we play all year for. We all want to win titles, but this is the main one,” he told the PA news agency.
“It’s a big tournament, everyone is looking forward to it, no-one wants to go out before Christmas so it is about getting that first round under your belt.
“Winning it behind closed doors, there was no atmosphere, lifting the trophy with no-one there, no friends, family or loved ones.
“Taking the trophy home and it sitting on the kitchen table for six months doesn’t really do it justice. It would be nice to win it again and be able to do it properly. It is something I want to do.”
Rob Cross believes he is playing the best darts since his 2018 title as he targets another World Championship crown.
Cross announced himself in style five years ago as he stunned Phil Taylor in the final to become world champion in his maiden outing at Alexandra Palace.
He has not been able to reach the same heights since, as he suffered a self-diagnosed “low period”, but he is looking back to his best in 2023, getting to two major finals.
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Although the silverware has eluded him, he thinks he is in the best shape he has ever been to claim a second title.
“It is the pinnacle of the game, when you win it you realise that,” Cross told the PA news agency.
“For me to win it again, I couldn’t put it into words. It’s that big. After winning it before, to lift it again would just mean everything really. This is the tournament when people look back and say how many World Championships did this guy win. It would mean everything for me.
“I would always like to win more, we are all pretty greedy and want to win. You can’t win them all.
“I’ve probably had a low period for 18 months and two years, so I could have done better there. But the way I have played this year, my performances seem to be getting better and I am in a better place than I was a couple of years ago.
“I am enjoying the game more and looking forward to it. This year for consistency I suppose and what I have achieved, I have played some really good darts.
“Performances are better, I believe I have played the best I have played since winning the worlds, since 2018 this is the most consistent.”
The 33-year-old Englishman would have had a major title to show for his form this year had he not run into an unstoppable Luke Humphries at the Grand Slam of Darts last month.
Humphries, 28, has also won the World Grand Prix and the Players Championship and will head to Alexandra Palace as the favourite.
Cross said: “I think he is favourite overall. Luke is very wise and is definitely up there with the best in the world.
“He will take everything in his stride, he is a great guy. He is calm and collected, I can’t see him going in there and panicking. He is playing too well. Whoever is going to beat him will have to play well.”
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This year’s tournament will see sponsors Paddy Power donate £1,000 to Prostate Cancer UK every time a 180 is thrown, and with over 900 thrown last year, Cross reckons 1,000 will be reachable.
“For me this campaign is just thrilling for everyone and the support you can give for such a good charity,” he added.
“We will try and hit as many 180s as we can, we always do. It usually goes up every year so it will be exciting if we can get up to 1,000, which would be a £1million.
“In this case I don’t think there is the awareness of it, one in eight men will suffer from prostate cancer. It will be great to get that reach out, it is a great cause.”
Peter Wright admits he “created a monster” by allowing Luke Humphries to claim his first major in October, but does not think the hottest player on tour will win the World Championship.
Wright missed three match darts to beat Humphries in the quarter-finals in Leicester, allowing the 28-year-old to take victory and go on to win the tournament.
He quickly followed that up by lifting the Grand Slam of Darts and the Players Championship last month, which means he will head to Alexandra Palace for the season-ending spectacular as favourite.
‘Snakebite’, who ended a near two-year major trophy drought by winning the European Championship recently, thinks it could be too soon for Humphries this year.
“He is favourite because he has won three out of the last four majors, and I won the other one,” two-time world champion Wright told the PA news agency.
“I was the only other person to get close to him. It’s my fault, I created a monster because I had three darts at the Grand Prix to beat him and that was his first major. If I’d done that things would have been different.
“He’s a great darts player but I think it is a little bit too soon. Yes, I think he will win the worlds but just not yet.”
Wright’s second world title won at the start of 2022 must seem like a long time ago for the 53-year-old, who has struggled for consistent form.
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He still remains confident he can become just the third person to win more than two world crowns and says his winning know-how gives him an advantage.
“I believe I can win it, I am not playing until December 20 so it gives me three weeks tinkering with my darts to make them 95 or 98 per cent perfect, that’ll do.
“There is potential to become a third-time world champion. That is in my sights and I am looking forward to it.
“It puts a lot of pressure off my shoulders to know I have won it twice. I think I have got a lot of advantage over a lot of the field.
“I am nowhere near my best at the moment, but I know what it takes to win. I decided to go and put the practice in and I went and won the European. I have put my focus on the Worlds, to be prepared for winning it one more time.”
Tournament sponsor Paddy Power have teamed up with Prostate UK and will donate £1,000 for every 180 thrown.
Wright believes there will be more maximums than ever before as a result and urged men to answer three simple questions to check their risk for a disease which affects one in eight men.
“It’s a great cause, the sponsor putting up £1,000 for every 180 hit, there was 901 last year and I think there will be more this year,” Wright added.
“I think players won’t switch down to 19, they will stay up there and try and get another 180 for Prostate Cancer UK. It affects one in eight men. I’m 53 so I need to be getting checked.”
:: It takes 30 seconds to answer three questions to check your prostate cancer risk. Do it now by clicking on the following link: prostatecanceruk.org/180-risk.
Trans player Noa-Lynn van Leuven says darts has given her something to live for following her transition.
The 27-year-old joined the Women’s Series in 2022 after transitioning the year before and she created history by becoming the first trans woman to play in a televised darts tournament in July when she played in the Women’s Masters in Blackpool.
The Dutchwoman believes she would no longer be alive if she had not transitioned but is now able to live out her dream.
“I think if I didn’t have the transition, I wouldn’t be here anymore,” she told the PA news agency. “The last two years before I transitioned were terrible for me, I was depressed, I wasn’t having fun in life.
“I didn’t have anything to live for, I wasn’t in a good space. Then I realised I am trans, I should do something with that or I am not going to make anything out of my life.
“I went to the doctor and then went into the programme.
“Since the transition it has been three or four years until I started playing darts again. I was playing darts for nine years and I was missing something in life and then I started playing darts again, I missed the game, I missed the people within darts.
“It is a dream to come true, the years before I transitioned I didn’t even have any dreams. I wasn’t happy.
“Now I am happy again and I have so much to live for. I really love darts, I love playing it, I love meeting new people and travelling and that is all possible because of darts.”
Her journey has not been entirely smooth, though, as she revealed she receives animosity from other players, who she believes want her banned.
“It’s been coming from some players, male players, female players but I think a lot of them are getting educated so that makes it easier for me,” Van Leuven, who has passed stringent transitioning tests, added.
“Most of the time it is behind my back, I have heard from a few friends that players have gone up to them and said we need to get her banned, this isn’t OK.
“But also more terrible things. It sucks but I try not to let it get too much into my head. It is very hard, it has been tough for the last two years. There are a few trans players but I guess I am the only one who can throw really good darts, so they want to get rid of me. What’s the easiest way to get rid of? To get me banned so they don’t have to play me.”
Van Leuven was speaking to mark this year’s Rainbow Laces campaign, with the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) supporting the movement by adopting the colours of the trans flag for the PDC logo on-stage at last weekend’s Players Championship.
She added: “A lot of the players are getting educated so that makes it easier for me. The PDC are really helping in educating people.”
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