Netflix told they have ‘a duty to get it right’ in £501,000 Beat Luke Littler challenge by darts legend

Glen Durrant believes Netflix must deliver a successful show with Friday’s Beat Luke Littler challenge to silence criticism of the contestants selected to take on the world champion.

The three-time Lakeside world champion will join the commentary team for the one-off darts spectacular in Manchester, where amateur players will attempt to pull off a remarkable upset against The Nuke.

Twenty-four hopefuls will compete for 20 places in the main event, with each selected contestant given the opportunity to face Littler in a one-leg shootout.

Anyone who manages to defeat the reigning world champion will walk away with a life-changing £501,000 prize, something Durrant has compared to a scene from the boxing film Rocky.

However, the announcement of the contestants has attracted criticism on social media, particularly because the line-up includes established names such as Fallon Sherrock and promising young talents Mitchell Lawrie and Jayden Walker.

Some fans had expected the competition to feature ordinary pub players rather than recognisable names from the darts world.

Durrant, 55, believes the format needs an element of unpredictability to make the event entertaining. He also thinks Littler could be most vulnerable before he settles into his rhythm.

Speaking to SunSport, the former professional explained why he was excited to be involved.

“I’m excited about it. Just even the word Netflix got me excited about being involved,” he said.

However, Durrant stressed that the organisers have a responsibility to get the format right.

“I think it’s really important that we get it right. For me, it’s entertainment.

“At the same time, we have a possibility that somebody is going to win over half a million quid.”

The former world champion reflected on his own beginnings in darts, explaining how different the opportunity would have been during his early years playing in working men’s clubs.

“From the culture and background I came from in the 1980s and working men’s clubs, chasing for a £200 win, it is a wonderful opportunity.

“It’s been a little bit disappointing to see some of the references in relation to these amateurs.”

Durrant believes the contestants deserve respect for the opportunity they have earned, regardless of their experience or reputation.

He also thinks the possibility of an unexpected winner is precisely what makes the programme exciting.

“I just see a real opportunity there for somebody to have that ‘Rocky’ moment.

“I think jeopardy is the word. A little bit of chaos as well is what we need.”

Durrant Defends the Mix of Contestants

The decision to include recognisable names in the line-up has divided opinion among darts fans.

Sherrock is one of the sport’s best-known female players, while Lawrie and Walker are teenage prospects who have already demonstrated considerable talent.

Durrant believes their inclusion creates an interesting balance between experience, youthful confidence and the possibility of a surprise result.

“There’s a wonderful mix. That real jeopardy with the likes of Jayden Walker, Mitchell Lawrie and Fallon Sherrock,” he explained.

The former Premier League champion also pointed out that the organisers would probably have faced criticism regardless of which contestants they selected.

He suggested that if Netflix had chosen 20 inexperienced pub players and Littler had beaten them all comfortably, viewers might have questioned whether the format was competitive enough.

“It would have been criticised if we’d got 20 players from the pub and Littler gets up there and smashes every single one of them, leaving them on a score of 200.”

Durrant admitted that social media has played a significant role in the debate surrounding the event.

“Because if you’d looked at social media, which I’m terrible for doing, initially it was almost like, ‘They’ve been hand-selected, there won’t be anywhere near him.’

“Then, as soon as the list came out and the headline acts were the likes of Fallon Sherrock and 15-year-old Mitchell Lawrie.”

Rather than focusing on the criticism, Durrant wants viewers to appreciate the extraordinary prize on offer.

“I just want to focus on the fact that we get a million pounds for the world champion, and this is the second-biggest prize in darts we’ve ever seen.”

He added that the mixture of contestants meant there was never going to be a selection that pleased everybody.

“There’s a real mixture of players. There would have been criticism either way.

“I still think there’s a lot of responsibility for Friday night that we get it right as a production, as entertainment.”

Durrant Knows the Pressure of Playing for Big Money

Durrant is well placed to discuss the pressure that comes with competing for significant prize money.

The Englishman won the BDO World Championship three consecutive times between 2017 and 2019, earning £100,000 for each triumph.

He later enjoyed another career-defining moment when he won the Premier League Darts title in 2020.

Playing behind closed doors because of the COVID-19 restrictions, Durrant defeated Nathan Aspinall 11-8 in the final to collect £250,000.

Those experiences have given him an understanding of what it feels like to stand on the oche knowing that one crucial dart could change everything.

Reflecting on his biggest victories, he described the experience as almost surreal.

“It’s an out-of-body experience. Certainly for the first Lakeside win, when I played Danny Noppert in the final, and the trophy was behind me there.

“I’d dreamt of that moment all my life. And then I threw a dart in front of no crowd against Nathan Aspinall for £250,000 for the Premier League title.”

Durrant knows that performing under such pressure can be difficult, even for experienced professionals.

However, he believes the younger contestants could have an advantage because they may approach the challenge without overthinking the occasion.

“It’s hard. But what I would say, the likes of Jayden Walker or Mitchell Lawrie, these kids have no fear.

“So I don’t know if they’re going to be like me. I was a bit of an over-thinker.”

Could Luke Littler Be Vulnerable in the Opening Rounds?

Despite Littler’s reputation as one of the most formidable players in the sport, Durrant believes the format could create opportunities for an upset.

With each encounter decided by a single leg, the amateurs will have very little room for error, but the world champion will also have limited time to recover if something goes wrong.

Durrant suggested that technique and practice could become secondary when the pressure reaches its highest point.

“Forget anything about practice, forget technique, it’s pure instinct.”

He explained that nerves can affect even the most talented players when they find themselves throwing for an enormous prize.

“Their bodies might shudder, their arms might jolt and you’re just almost hoping it’s going to go.

“It’s going to be fascinating if someone gets down to that winning double.”

The former world champion also believes Littler’s opponents could have their best opportunity before the teenager has settled into the competition.

Once the reigning world champion finds his rhythm, Durrant expects him to become increasingly difficult to beat, particularly against the more experienced contestants.

“You could argue then that Littler, once he’s warmed up, is going to be absolutely fine for these really top players.”

Nevertheless, Durrant is not ruling out a shock result.

“But I think he loses a game. I’d get him at the start.”

With £501,000 at stake and the possibility of an amateur producing a career-changing upset, Friday’s Netflix event promises to be a different kind of challenge for Littler.

For Durrant, the key will be ensuring the programme delivers the drama, unpredictability and entertainment that such an extraordinary prize deserves.