Phil Taylor has jumped to the defence of Premier League Darts champion Luke Littler after the 19-year-old was regularly booed and subjected to heavy criticism during the 2026 campaign. The abuse began at the night in Manchester when Littler was involved in an on-stage fiasco with Gian van Veen. Van Veen left the stage the winner after tension arose between both players, and the fans sided with the PDC World Darts Championship runner-up.
Littler faced vicious boos and endless criticism throughout the rest of the campaign, but managed to defeat reigning champion Luke Humphries 11-10 in an enthralling final at the O2. After the match, he broke down in tears in his interview as he recalled the tough times, consoled by world number two Humphries. Littler even had thoughts of quitting, but stuck with it and reaped the rewards.
Taylor, a 16-time world champion, quickly defended Littler. “We’ve all gone through that. Every professional player has gone through that for years,” he said. “If it was any other walk of life then people would be arrested for it. The things we used to get called, you wouldn’t believe. I had to get a dictionary sometimes because they were using words I’d never heard of. The powers-that-be said, look, people have paid the money, let them enjoy themselves. But that isn’t enjoyment, it’s abuse. I never cried but I felt like jumping over the barrier and smashing somebody’s face in a few times, of course you do. Many times I’ve had to ask security: ‘Tell them to shut their mouths.’”
Taylor cited Littler’s young age, adding: “For somebody who’s like 17, 18 years old, it’s life-destroying. The lad is up there trying to make a living and entertain people. If Robbie Williams was on stage singing and getting abused… it wouldn’t happen.” He proposed a solution: “What’s the solution? Just throw them out. Hit them in the pocket. They pay for a ticket. If they start whistling and booing and doing whatever they feel like, then out you go. They won’t do it again.”
Taylor said he hopes to speak with Littler when he gets the chance. “When I see him, I’ll have a chat. Because it can go one of two ways now. It’ll either ruin his career or it’ll make him stronger. But he shouldn’t be abused and I do feel for the lad.”