Angry Ginge in expletive-laden rant after Luke Littler ‘loses his head’ in fiery darts spat with Gian van Veen

When the darts world started piling on Luke Littler after his explosive clash with Gian van Veen at Manchester’s AO Arena, there was one voice that wasn’t going to stay quiet. Luke’s best mate and I’m a Celebrity winner Angry Ginge — real name Morgan Birtwhistle — went on his YouTube channel and absolutely let rip.

On his YouTube channel, Ginge said: “Lost his head? Oh well f****** hell. Brother’s 19 and playing in front of millions and playing darts, one of the biggest athletes in the world, especially in England.”

And honestly? He wasn’t done.

What Actually Happened First

To understand why Ginge reacted the way he did, you need the full picture. In a tense deciding leg, Van Veen missed double 15 on the inside before turning to find Littler celebrating in front of the home crowd. The world champion then gestured angrily at his opponent as Van Veen returned to the oche. Littler then missed his own match dart at double seven, Van Veen sealed victory, and the pair exchanged a frosty handshake.

Afterwards, Van Veen told Sky Sports: “He was celebrating me missing double 15. That’s out of order. I was fuming about that and he missed three darts at double seven.” The Dutchman went further, telling broadcaster Viaplay that “he is a great darts player, but today he shows that he is not a good loser.”

Cue the internet going into meltdown — and cue Angry Ginge going nuclear in defence of his mate.

Ginge Knows the Real Luke Littler

What makes Ginge’s defence so powerful is that he doesn’t just know Littler as a fan. He knows him as a genuine friend — someone who was in the dressing room before the World Championship final, someone who got Luke into sports card collecting on Whatnot, someone who sees the person behind the headlines every single week.

And the person he describes couldn’t be further from the villain some are trying to paint. “He’s such a genuine guy, and I don’t think people realise how down-to-earth he really is,” Ginge said on the Double Top podcast. “Of course, he’s Luke Littler, and he’s the best darts player in the world, but I really wish people would just treat him normally because he’s just a normal and genuine bloke.”

He also gave a brilliant insight into just how relaxed Luke is under pressure — even at the very highest level. “I was with him before the World Championship final against Gian [van Veen] and his warm-up was throwing a few darts and having a margherita pizza!” Not exactly the portrait of an arrogant, out-of-control hot-head, is it.

He’s Backing His Mate to Have the Last Laugh

Despite the controversy, Ginge made his prediction crystal clear — Angry Ginge leapt to the defence of his oche pal and backed him to “win the Premier League” when all is said and done this season.

And given that Littler currently sits top of the Premier League standings, that’s not exactly a brave call.

The Broader Picture

What’s striking about this whole saga is the contrast between how people who actually know Luke Littler talk about him, and how some corners of the internet want to portray him.

The man who nearly won the World Championship final against Van Veen just three months ago — a final Littler won 7-1, posting a 106.02 average — prepared for it with a margherita pizza and a few warm-up throws. The man who has two world titles, an MBE, and the world number one ranking is on WhatsApp with his mate Ginge laughing about Panini cards. The man accused of being a bad loser went home, posted his list of trophies with three laughing emojis, and moved on.

Angry Ginge saw a headline calling his best mate someone who “lost his head” — and responded the only way he knows how. Loudly, colourfully, and without a single filter.

Somehow, that feels like exactly the kind of friend Luke Littler deserves.