The eyes of the nation will once again be on 17-year-old darts sensation Luke Littler this evening as he takes on Michael van Gerwen in a bid to win the World Darts Championship.
The teenager has gone from nobody to the most famous sports star in England over the last 12 months, taking both his sport and the mainstream by storm.
There is little doubt of his darting talent. He is the favourite to win the title, going one further than his runner-up finish last year when he came up short against Luke Humphries. But his life away from the oche has also been in the limelight.
Eyebrows were raised when it came to light that last year he was dating Eloise Milburn, 21, but the two split last year before Littler took to social media to ask for privacy and for trolls to stop contacting Eloise.
But it has now been speculated that he is back on the dating scene. In October, it was speculated that Littler had accidentally revealed his new girlfriend when a female voice was heard on a livestream with Angry Ginge.
If that is the case, she is being kept out the spotlight, a total contrast from Eloise, who was often seen at his games. And relationship expert and founder of Wingman Tina Wilson has explained why.
A relationship expert has revealed why Luke Littler could be keeping his new girlfriend out of the spotlight
Luke Littler may have a new girlfriend after an unidentified female spoke down his microphone during a video gaming live stream. Pictured: Kissing ex-girlfriend Eloise Milburn at the darts
Relationship expert Tina Wilson explained that the 17-year-old may want to enjoy dating without the pressure of settling into a long-term relationship
‘There was a lot of media attention around Luke’s last romance, and at 17 years old, he is still trying to figure things out,’ she said.
‘We shouldn’t be too harsh on him, as he’s still a teenager. His last romance ended suddenly, and according to claims, his ex didn’t see it coming. I’m sure his emotional maturity will grow with age and experience.
‘I suspect he might be keeping his new romance private and may prefer to keep her out of the spotlight this time. Perhaps even opting for a love interest not invested in darts this time round either, as much less pressure on him to invite them along to his workplace where all eyes are on them.
‘This could explain why he reacted the way he did on the livestream. His mic was on, and his new alleged girlfriend spoke in the room, which was innocently caught on audio. With any new relationship, he may want to take his time before making it public, especially as someone in the media spotlight. Looking at the Rooneys the pressure of their romance in the tabloids had its issues.
‘He’s also young and has a lot going on professionally. Not that he shouldn’t have a girlfriend at his age, but he might want to enjoy dating without the pressures of settling into a long-term serious relationship just yet.
‘Building strong friendships alongside romantic relationships can also provide him with a solid foundation of support and understanding as he navigates these formative years. He should look to his friends from school not sudden new comers to check in with to ask for advice and support’.
The 17-year-old darts sensation was live streaming himself in a video game boxing match in October against popular streamer ‘angryginge13’, also known as Morgan Burtwistle, when an unidentified female voice spoke down his microphone.
‘I’m gonna try and get some sleep because I’m so tired,’ said a female voice down Littler’s microphone – and instantly Burtwistle pounced.
The revelation came a few months after the 17-year-old broke up with his ex-girlfriend Eloise Milburn, who was regularly seen at his games
He is the favourite to lift the title tonight when he takes on Michael van Gerwen (left)
‘Who the f*** is that? Who’s that Luke? Who’s that Luke? He’s had a rotter there! Luke’s had a rotter,’ the streamer jibed as others broke out laughing.
Littler’s initial response was a simple two-word burst which revealed his emotions: ‘F***’s sake.’
‘Let her get to bed, Luke, come on,’ teased Burtwistle.
‘Your chat is going mad,’ said Littler. ‘F*** off. If someone has screen recorded that, it’s in the papers in the morning. Yep, well played. Why’s the volume all the way up, you f***ing idiot?’
Despite his expletive-ridden rant, Littler’s tone was good natured and he was not being aggressive.
Littler was said to have been left ‘very upset’ by the breakup with Eloise as their nascent romance came to an end after 10 months together.
The pair began dating just weeks before the start of the World Championship last December and only in May shared a holiday to New York together alongside other darts stars and Littler’s parents, Lisa and Anthony.
