Luke Littler thought he was lining up against hobbyists on Netflix. Then the line-up came out.

“Before I saw the line-up, I thought it was just pub players,” the double world champion told Sky Sports. “Whereas obviously when the line-up came out, I probably knew just over half of them.”

One of those names was Fallon Sherrock, the 32-year-old who made history at the PDC World Championship seven years ago by becoming the first woman to win a match at the event. She was the 15th challenger lined up on Beat Luke Littler, the one-leg 501 shoot-out streamed by Netflix on Friday, 30 October. Littler had already won 14 straight when Sherrock stepped up and checked out in 15 darts.

The prize was £501,000. That is the second-biggest single prize in darts history, behind only the £1 million Littler collected for his second PDC World Championship in January.

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Sherrock’s spot in the field was contested

Sherrock’s inclusion was publicly criticised, with Sky Sports pundit Mark Webster among those questioning whether the Netflix format was meant for her rather than for amateurs.

“I’m just so happy to overcome all the hate and win,” she told Sky Sports after the final leg.

Littler has not disputed the result. He called Sherrock a worthy winner and used the same Sky Sports interview to describe the Netflix stage as exactly what he wanted.

“There aren’t many people who could say they’ve got their own show, and I’ve had my own show on Netflix, which is just still bonkers to me,” he said.

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Grand Slam defense starts Saturday

Just over two weeks on, the 19-year-old is back at the board for a trophy that has quickly become familiar. Littler won the Grand Slam of Darts in 2024 and in 2025, and the 2026 Mr Vegas Grand Slam of Darts at WV Active Aldersley in Wolverhampton runs from 14 to 22 November. He is chasing a third consecutive title and remains unbeaten in Wolverhampton.

The PDC confirmed the draw on Monday. Littler is in Group A alongside three-time Women’s World Matchplay champion Beau Greaves and Dutch Darts Champion Niels Zonneveld, in a newly expanded 48-player format of 16 three-player groups where only group winners advance to the knockout stages. Sherrock is not in the draw. Littler opens against Greaves on Saturday’s opening night.

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