‘People need to back off’ – Luke Littler’s darts rival leaps to his defence after he was left ‘feeling rubb!sh’

Luke Humphries defends teenage world champion following fiery crowd exchange at Alexandra Palace

Luke Humphries has leapt to the defence of his greatest rival Luke Littler, calling for critics to “back off” the teenage sensation after he was left “feeling rubbish” following sustained booing from sections of the Alexandra Palace crowd during his World Championship title defense.

The former world champion acknowledged that Littler “lost his head” during his fourth-round victory over Rob Cross, but insisted the 18-year-old deserves sympathy rather than condemnation for his explosive response to hostile fans.

“He’s 18 Years Old”

“He’s a young lad. He’s 18 years old,” Humphries said. “Sometimes it happens. You lose your head a little bit. I don’t think people should hold it against him”.

The comments came after Littler faced sustained jeering from sections of the crowd during his commanding 4-0 victory over Cross in the fourth round of the 2026 World Championship on January 1.

Rather than take the abuse quietly, Littler responded defiantly during his post-match interview, delivering a pointed message that divided opinion among darts fans.

Littler’s Explosive Response

Littler responded to the jeers with a pointed message during his post-match interview, declaring: “You guys pay for tickets and you pay for my prize money so thank you for my money, thank you for booing me!”

The comment sparked heated debate on social media, with some praising his confidence and others criticizing what they saw as arrogance from the defending champion.

Speaking after the match, Littler had expanded on his frustration with the Alexandra Palace crowd, revealing just how much the negativity had affected him.

“Really not bothered. You guys pay for tickets and you pay for my prize so thanks for booing me. No-one wanted me to win but I proved them wrong yet again,” he said following his victory over Rob Cross.

“They want the underdogs to win, they want the favourites to go out. I just had to get it out of the way and get my job done,” Littler added, demonstrating his determination to let his darts do the talking despite the hostile atmosphere.

The Context

The booing wasn’t an isolated incident. Littler had faced similar treatment from Australian crowds just months earlier, where taunts of “rubbish” and suggestions he was “washed” greeted every missed treble.

“In the final, every time I didn’t hit a treble they were shouting, ‘Rubbish, rubbish.’ Someone even said I was washed,” Littler revealed after winning the Australian Darts Masters.

The teenager has learned to cope with the pressure in his own way. “I think for myself, the first time I hear it, I’ll react. But then I’ll let it go by and just let my darts do the talking. No one’s taught me how to deal with much — you’re on stage alone, no one else is going to help you,” he explained.

Humphries’ Empathetic Stance

What makes Humphries’ defence particularly significant is the fierce rivalry between the pair. The two Lukes have met 28 times in the past two years, with their battles defining modern darts.

Humphries had even “declared war” on Littler ahead of the World Championship, saying: “When I get to the Worlds I’ll be fighting hard to take it back off him. It’s war now! I’m going to try and take it back. I’m ready for the Worlds now. I’m going to win the Worlds”.

Despite this competitive fire, Humphries showed the class that earned him his “Cool Hand” nickname by defending his young rival when others rushed to criticize.

The empathy likely stems from Humphries’ own experiences dealing with pressure and expectations. As a former world champion who held the world number one ranking for 23 months before being displaced by Littler, he understands better than most the scrutiny that comes with being at the top.

The Pressure of Being Littler

At just 19 years old (18 at the time of the World Championship), Littler has achieved more than most players manage in entire careers. He’s a two-time world champion, world number one, and has won 11 major PDC titles.

But with success comes pressure—and with pressure comes scrutiny. Every missed dart is analyzed, every celebration criticized, every comment dissected.

The booing at Alexandra Palace represented more than just pantomime villain treatment. For sections of the crowd, Littler’s dominance has become boring, his success predictable. They wanted the underdog story, the fairytale upset—not another Littler procession.

Growing Maturity

Littler’s ability to channel the negativity into performance shows remarkable mental strength. He ultimately went on to successfully defend his world title, crushing Gian van Veen 7-1 in the final to become the first back-to-back world champion in a decade.

Littler returned to the oche for his quarter-final clash against Krzysztof Ratajski in the opening match of New Year’s Day proceedings. The defending champion was guaranteed £100,000 for reaching this stage, with a £1million prize awaiting should he retain his title.

He did exactly that, pocketing the million-pound prize and cementing his status as darts’ dominant force.

The Verdict

Luke Humphries’ decision to defend Luke Littler demonstrates the class and maturity that makes him one of the sport’s most respected figures. Despite their fierce rivalry and Humphries’ own frustrations at being consistently beaten by his younger rival, he recognized that an 18-year-old deserves support, not condemnation, for reacting emotionally to sustained abuse.

Littler may be the world number one and a two-time world champion, but he’s still a teenager learning to navigate fame, pressure, and hostility. His response to the Alexandra Palace crowd may not have been perfect, but as Humphries rightly pointed out—”sometimes it happens.”

The fact that Littler channeled that negativity into winning his second consecutive world title shows he’s learning to cope with the unique pressures of being darts’ biggest star. And having a rival like Humphries willing to defend him publicly suggests that despite their battles on the oche, there’s genuine respect between the two greatest players in world darts.

As Humphries said: people need to back off. Luke Littler is 18 years old, facing pressure and scrutiny that would break many adults. The fact that he’s handling it—even imperfectly—while continuing to dominate the sport is remarkable in itself.