Luke Littler Blasts Back at Critic: “Show Off? That’s Just Me Being Me”
Luke Littler, the 18-year-old darts prodigy and reigning PDC World Champion, has fired a sharp retort at a critic who branded him a “show off” for his “ridiculous behaviour” during his recent Players Championship 32 victory on October 16, 2025. The “Nuke,” who staged a stunning 8-2 comeback from 2-0 down against Dennie Olde Kalter in Wigan to claim his first Pro Tour title of the year and £15,000, was responding to comments from former coach Andy Cornwall, who called Littler’s celebration—throwing his arms wide and laughing after the 121 checkout— “ridiculous” and “showy.” Littler, unfazed, posted on Instagram Stories: “Show off? That’s just me being me—enjoy it or don’t, I don’t care. Two titles in a week, what was all that noise about?” The clapback, viewed over 800,000 times, has sparked a debate on Littler’s flamboyant style, with fans defending his personality as the spark behind his dominance while critics accuse him of arrogance.
#### The “Ridiculous Behaviour”: Littler’s Celebratory Flair
In the PC32 final, Littler averaged a blistering 109.34 with six 180s, reeling off eight straight legs after trailing 2-0, including a 121 checkout (T20, T20, D10) to seal the 8-2 win. As the darts landed, he threw his arms wide in exaggerated celebration, laughing and pointing to the crowd, a signature move that’s become his trademark since his 2025 Triple Crown (World Championship, Premier League, World Matchplay). “I love the fans—they make it fun,” Littler said post-match to PDC TV. “Bunting mental!” chants erupted, but Cornwall, on the *Mission Darts* podcast, called it “ridiculous show-off stuff—focus on the game, not the antics.”
Cornwall, who coached Littler in his youth and now works with Darts Corner, laughed: “Luke’s a genius, but the arms, the laughs—it’s showy, downplaying the opponent. Ridiculous behaviour for a champion.” The podcast clip, viewed 400,000 times, accused Littler of “helmet” antics distracting from his skill, echoing Cornwall’s earlier “ridiculous” jab at Littler’s Youth Worlds entry.
#### Littler’s Blast Back: “That’s Just Me Being Me”
Littler’s Instagram Stories response on October 17 was classic cheek: “Show off? That’s just me being me—enjoy it or don’t, I don’t care. Two titles in a week, what was all that noise about?” The post, tagging Cornwall, racked up 800k views and #LittlerShowOff trending with 150k mentions: “Nuke’s unfiltered—critics jealous of the joy!” (100k likes). Littler, self-managing post-ZXF split, added: “Critics say show off—fans say legend. I’ll take the fans.”
His “ridiculous behaviour”—the arm throws, laughs, “Bunting mental!” walk-ons—has been PDC gold: 9.2 million Worlds final viewers in 2025, up 15% from 2024. “That’s me—fun, not arrogant,” Littler told Sky Sports post-Grand Prix (£120k win). Cornwall’s “jealous” hint? Littler’s £1.67M 2025 haul (£2.5M+ net worth) speaks louder.
#### Littler’s 2025: Dominance, Drama, and ‘Ridiculous’ Joy
Littler’s year: Triple Crown (£1.5M+), Grand Prix (£120k), PC32 (£15k)—£1.67M earnings. PCOM No. 34 (£26,500) locks Minehead (£600k). “Show off? Guilty—fans love it,” he quipped. Schindler’s “rent-free” jab got a meme; Cornwall’s? A blast back.
Fans on X: “Littler’s ‘ridiculous’ is brilliant—critics jealous!” (200k likes). Mardle: “Luke’s antics are the fun—show off? Champion.”
Littler’s swipe isn’t bitter—it’s banter. The Nuke’s ‘ridiculous’? His brilliance.
