In the high-stakes world of professional darts, Luke Littler, the 18-year-old sensation known as “The Nuke,” has proven he can hit a triple 20 with pinpoint accuracy and dominate opponents under intense pressure. Yet, despite his meteoric rise to becoming the youngest PDC World Darts Champion, Littler faces an unexpected challenge away from the dartboard: passing his driving theory test. On Wednesday, July 16, 2025, the Warrington-born prodigy shared his latest setback, revealing he had failed the test for the fourth time, a humorous contrast to his near-flawless performances on the oche. With a major tournament looming, Littler’s struggle with the Highway Code has sparked both sympathy and playful banter among fans and peers alike.
Littler, who turned 18 in January, took to Instagram to share his exam results, posting a picture of his score report with the caption “4th time and counting” alongside a green, unwell-looking emoji. His performance was tantalizingly close: he scored an impressive 45 out of 50 on the multiple-choice section, well above the passing threshold, but fell short in the hazard perception portion with 41 out of 75, just two points shy of the required mark. The irony is striking—a player who can calculate complex dart checkouts in seconds and execute a nine-dart finish with ease is stumped by virtual road hazards. “You can do all this, but you can’t pass your driving theory,” teased his friend Morgan Burtwistle, known as AngryGinge, during their recent appearance on *Celebrity Gogglebox*. The quip, delivered as they sat in front of Littler’s overflowing trophy cabinet, drew laughter from the teenager, who could only nod in acknowledgment.
Since bursting onto the scene 18 months ago, Littler has redefined darts, amassing over £2 million in prize money and securing 13 PDC titles, including five major televised championships. His 2025 World Championship victory over Michael van Gerwen at age 17 made him the youngest world champion in darts history, and his two televised nine-dart finishes—most recently in the 2024 Premier League final—cemented his status as a generational talent. “I’ve always been confident in my own ability, but the way my darts are going at the minute, it’s probably the best I’ve ever played on a consistent basis,” Littler said after his Premier League win in Brighton earlier this year. Yet, while his precision with tungsten darts has earned him an MBE and global acclaim, the driving theory test remains an elusive target.
Littler’s driving ambitions are modest compared to his sporting achievements. After his World Championship win, which netted him £500,000, he expressed a desire to purchase a Mercedes A-Class, a practical hatchback that reflects his grounded personality. “Last year I was looking at a Ford Focus, but now I’ve gone up in the world just a little,” he told reporters, his eyes set on the compact luxury car. However, his busy schedule—packed with tournaments like the upcoming World Matchplay in Blackpool, starting this weekend—has forced him to delay lessons, and his latest test failure means the Mercedes remains out of reach. The setback is compounded by a recent incident in May, when vandals damaged his team’s van during an exhibition in Norwich, prompting Littler to brand the culprits “scum of the earth.”
The darts community and fans have rallied around Littler, with social media buzzing with encouragement and lighthearted jabs. One fan posted, “Can hit 180s all day long but can’t pass his theory test 😂,” capturing the playful sentiment surrounding his plight. Littler’s ability to dominate at Alexandra Palace, where he set a World Championship record with a 140.91 set average, contrasts sharply with his struggles to navigate road signs and hazard clips. His peers, like Luke Humphries, who hit a nine-darter in the same Premier League night as Littler, have praised his resilience. “It’s crazy to even think about being mentioned in the same sentence as some of the best sportsmen there’s ever been,” Littler said, reflecting on his rapid rise. Yet, for now, he relies on his team for transportation between events, a reminder of his youth in a sport often dominated by seasoned veterans.
As Littler prepares for the World Matchplay, where he aims to improve on last year’s first-round exit, he remains unfazed by the driving test saga. “I have knuckled down, and now it has paid off,” he said of his darts career, a mindset he’ll need to apply to his studies. With his next test attempt looming, the darts world watches not just for his next 180 but for the day “The Nuke” finally conquers the road.
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