In a whirlwind of darts brilliance and culinary charm, Luke Littler, the teenage sensation known as ‘The Nuke,’ has become the talk of the sports world after his historic victory at the 2025 PDC World Darts Championship. The 17-year-old from Warrington clinched the title on January 3, defeating three-time world champion Michael van Gerwen 7-3 in a commanding performance at Alexandra Palace, becoming the youngest world champion in darts history at just 17 years and 347 days. Yet, even before his crowning moment, Littler’s love for kebabs sparked an unexpected offer from a holiday company, proposing a dream job as a “Top Kebab Taste Tester” in Turkey should he have fallen short in the 2024 final against Luke Humphries. While Littler’s triumph rendered the job offer moot, the story of this quirky proposition adds a delightful layer to his meteoric rise.
Last year, as Littler prepared for his debut World Championship final at age 16, holiday operator On The Beach penned an open letter to the prodigy, captivated by his darting prowess and his well-documented passion for kebabs. “You may have heard that we’ve got more holidays to Turkey than you can shake a beach towel at. In fact, we’re the Kings of Turkey, and we heard on the grapevine that you’re the King of Kebabs,” wrote Caspar Nelson, the company’s marketing director, dubbing himself the ‘On The Beach Darts Champ.’ The offer promised an all-expenses-paid adventure to Turkey’s top hotels, where Littler would “try every hotel’s kebab offering, sample their poolside dart boards, and report back to us.” The lighthearted proposal described the role as “almost as simple as hitting a 180” for Littler, adding, “Look at it this way, it’s a free holiday for as long as you want, travelling around doing the two things you love, throwing darts and eating kebabs. What more could you want?”
Littler’s affinity for kebabs became a fan-favorite storyline during his 2023-24 World Championship run, where he celebrated victories with visits to a German Doner Kebab outlet near his London hotel. After his semi-final win over Rob Cross, he proudly displayed a £7.99 beef and chicken doner wrap, complete with red cabbage, onion, tomato, lettuce, and a trio of sauces, declaring, “I will treat myself to a kebab. Get myself some bottles of Coke and bottles of Fanta.” His post-match ritual of indulging in a doner wrap, often shared on social media, endeared him to fans and inspired the Turkish job offer. Though he lost the 2024 final to Humphries 7-4, Littler’s £200,000 runner-up prize was a life-changing sum, though he faced a hefty £76,203 tax bill and £7,330 in National Insurance.
Fast forward to 2025, and Littler’s journey to the title was nothing short of spectacular. Entering as the fourth seed, he dispatched Ryan Meikle, Ian White, Ryan Joyce, Nathan Aspinall, and Stephen Bunting before dominating van Gerwen. His performance included a record-breaking set average of 140.91 against Meikle and 12 180s in the final, earning him the Ballon d’Art trophy for the most maximums in the tournament. “I can’t believe it, honestly, I can’t believe it,” Littler said after lifting the Sid Waddell Trophy, tears in his eyes. “We both played so well, and I said I needed to get off to a quick start tonight, and that’s what I did.” He credited watching a rerun of last year’s final loss to Humphries for sharpening his focus, saying, “I kind of knew what went wrong last year, but just to recap and just go over what I did wrong, it was the right thing to do for myself.”
The £500,000 prize cemented Littler’s status as a darts icon, with his PDC Order of Merit earnings surpassing £1 million, propelling him to world number two. His 2024 season was equally dominant, with titles in the Premier League, Grand Slam of Darts, and World Series Finals, plus a televised nine-dart finish in Bahrain. Despite the Turkish job offer’s allure, Littler’s focus remains on darts, dismissing retirement rumors sparked by Nathan Aspinall. “I know I’ve heard that, I don’t know where he’s got that from – don’t worry, I’ll be here in 10 years,” he said, eyeing Phil Taylor’s record of 16 world titles. For now, Littler’s legacy grows, fueled by darts, dreams, and the occasional kebab.
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