Former BDO world champion Scott Mitchell has revealed that Luke Littler asked him for a selfie first, not the other way around. Speaking after a solid exhibition in his hometown of Bournemouth, the 55-year-old said: “Well, Luke asked me for a selfie first — I didn’t ask him. I’ve known him since he was about 13 years old. We still forget he’s only 19. When I was 19, I was in the pub getting my fists out if someone said the wrong thing to me. Luke’s not doing that.”
Mitchell, who held a PDC Tour Card between 2020 and 2022 and competed in the 2022 PDC World Darts Championship (losing in the first round to Chris Landman), opened up about his health and form. “I had a couple of health issues in 2025, but nothing major,” he told Online Darts. “I tried to play my way through them and probably had some success at times and not at others. We’re through that now and 2026 is a new year. Hopefully I can keep performing like I did out there against Danny Noppert and keep doing the business.” He added: “I’m 55 now — we’re all getting older — and it’s a young man’s game. I’m sat in there next to Luke Littler and it reminds you of that, but some of us old guys have still got a little bit left.”
The former BDO world champion admitted that playing in his hometown made things tougher. “To hit that double against Danny Noppert was harder than hitting the double to win the World Championship because it’s in my hometown. I’ve got people in the crowd who were with me at nursery school when we were three years old, and now we’re 55 and still friends. I can see them screaming at me with the veins popping out of their necks. People say playing in your hometown makes it easier, but I don’t think it does. I think it makes it much harder.”
Mitchell reflected on his journey, including losing his Tour Card in 2022 by finishing 66th instead of 64th. “Then you lose it in 2022 by a few quid and finish number 66 instead of 64, and you start wondering where your place in darts is now — for yourself and for your family.” He is now considering a return to the ProTour. “I’m not going to lie, I’d love another crack at the ProTour, but everything has to line up properly. You need the sponsors in place and I’ve got some great sponsors who’ve stuck by me through thick and thin.”
On the rise of young talent, Mitchell praised Littler’s impact. “What he’s done for darts over the last two years is unprecedented. We probably haven’t seen anything like it since the Eric Bristow era, then the Phil Taylor era, and now we’re in the Littler era.” He also highlighted 15-year-old Mitchell Lawrie, who reached the final of the WDF World Championship. “I can’t wait to watch him develop. Honestly, I’ve probably got a couple more years left myself and then I’ll sit on the sidelines and commentate as much as I can. But it’s not just Mitchell — there are loads of talented youngsters coming through.”
