The electric atmosphere at Alexandra Palace took a dramatic turn during the 2025-26 PDC World Darts Championship when defending champion **Luke Littler** faced a hostile reception from sections of the crowd. In his fourth-round clash against former world champion Rob Cross, the 18-year-old world number one—affectionately known as “The Nuke”—was booed repeatedly as the audience rallied behind his opponent.
Despite the vocal adversity, Littler delivered a commanding performance, securing a hard-fought **4-2 victory** to advance to the quarter-finals for the third consecutive year. The match was intense, with Cross mounting a comeback from **3-1** down, pushing the contest to the brink of a deciding set. Littler responded with composure under pressure, unleashing a stunning 117 average in the closing stages to seal the win and prove why he’s the sport’s top-ranked player.
The tension spilled over immediately after the final dart. In his on-stage interview, Littler addressed the jeers head-on with a mix of defiance and cheeky humor. “Am I bothered? Really not bothered!” he declared, before adding, “Can I just say one thing? You guys pay for tickets and you pay for my prize money. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Come on!”
The comment ignited further debate among fans, with some labeling his reaction as arrogant. Littler later reflected on the moment in a more measured tone, admitting the pressure had gotten to him. “I think I lost my head,” he said. “Two years ago I think I would have started throwing my darts left-handed, but that is how much I have grown, how much I have matured.” He acknowledged the challenge of handling such a charged environment, noting, “It was hostile, nobody wanted me to win, but yet again I proved them wrong.” The young star emphasized that he could still improve in managing emotions, saying, “I can learn how to deal with the crowd, not let as much emotion out, just keep it all in me until that final dart.”
The booing marked a shift for Littler, who burst onto the scene two years earlier as a 16-year-old sensation, reaching the World Championship final and captivating audiences worldwide. His meteoric rise has revitalized the sport, drawing new fans and boosting its popularity. Yet, as the dominant force and defending champion, he now finds himself cast in the role of the villain in some eyes—fans often rooting for the underdog in darts’ pantomime-like atmosphere.
The crowd’s behavior drew widespread criticism, including from commentators who called out disruptive elements like excessive whistling. Littler himself noted this was the first time at the World Championship where the audience hadn’t wanted him to succeed, and he anticipated more of the same in upcoming matches.
Adding fuel to the fire, Littler’s mother, **Lisa**, took to social media to passionately defend her son against both the on-site hecklers and online trolls. She didn’t hold back, branding the booing fans as “vile” and firing off pointed responses. When one critic suggested fans had every right to jeer after paying for tickets, she retorted sharply: “So they buy tickets with their hard earned money to sit there like t**ts and boo.”
In another exchange, as someone lamented growing to “hate” watching Littler, Lisa replied sarcastically: “Aww gutted for ya nottt.” When a user urged the world number one to “behave like one,” she clapped back: “Behave like one… Best comment so far am sure Luke will carry on behaving like one as he has done crowds were vile let’s all boo the world number one idiots man.”
Her fierce support highlighted the personal toll on the young athlete and his family amid the spotlight. Despite the controversy, Littler’s talent remains undeniable—he’s set records for the most 180s in the tournament and continues to advance deep into the competition.
This episode underscores the unique dynamics of professional darts, where crowd interaction is part of the entertainment, but the line between passionate support and outright hostility can blur. For an 18-year-old carrying the weight of expectations, handling the boos with a blend of fire and reflection shows maturity beyond his years. As Littler pushes toward another title defense, the Ally Pally crowd may continue to test him—but he’s proven time and again that he thrives under pressure.
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