Fallon Sherrock defeated Luke Littler to win Beat Luke Littler and the £501,000 prize, but her inclusion in the event was criticised from the outset due to her previous history of making exploits and her not being an amateur, per se. Sherrock was joined on stage by her son Rory after her victory, which has sparked debate among darts editors about the event's format, production, and fairness.
Samuel Gill, Head Editor for DartsNews.com, does not begrudge Sherrock her win. "Sherrock was robbed of her chance to make the money she should've done," he said, referring to how COVID-19 disrupted her career after she was heralded into the spotlight. "I disagree with the criticism she has received from junctures of the darting landscape and find it actually quite lazy. Sherrock took her chance as a player who has never even held a tour card and someone who rises to the occasion. If it wasn't her, it perhaps would've been Mitchell Lawrie or even Ashley Coleman, who have been top talents in the past, and would Lawrie get the same amount of criticism? Similar but not really." Gill also critiqued the presenting team, saying Gary Lineker did not work as a presenter and reminded him of Caroline Barker at the Champions League of Darts when she said a nine-darter was 180, 180, 180. "Saying that legs were frames, not calling players by their proper names, and being very much a textbook – let's bring a big name in to host from another sport who doesn't particularly know the sport." He praised the rest of the team, including Rod Studd, Chris Mason, Laura Turner, Lee Mack, and AngryGinge. "But the format for me works, and it doesn't. It gave credence, in my view, to the need for a darts Royal Rumble/more different types of events where the winner stays on, and I think the venue itself suited darts well. The whole in-between-leg pandering, though, left it to become a bit of a non-event at times and needs streamlining if done again."
Lucas Michael, editor of DartsNews.com, was mixed on having the big names but understood why. "Whether you love or loathe Beat Luke Littler, you cannot deny how good it is for the sport. If not, are you even a darts fan?" he said. "Look at the bigger picture. Since his arrival on the scene at the 2024 PDC World Darts Championship, Littler has sent darts places that he has never been. A 19-year-old kid who is winning everything the sport can offer continues to go from strength to strength. From prize money to be increased to more tournaments being added, the PDC have been trying their best to keep up with the 'Littler Effect', and, for the time being, that has culminated with a Netflix show hosted by Gary Lineker and Richard Osman." Michael added: "As for the event, it is the first of its kind, and mistakes along the road are likely, but the false advertisement from the start irked a lot of fans. I am on the fence with the lineup. As funny and entertaining as it would be for 20 random bumbling pub players to take to the Oche against the world number one, they would most likely not make it past 301, let alone take out 501. That is where the likes of Fallon Sherrock and Mitchell Lawrie come in, but that seems too much as well. It was obviously going to occur with Netflix trying to make as much money and get more viewer attention; another example is Darts moving into the mainstream. Where credits were due, that leg by Sherrock was very commendable. That was the risk with the show. Littler is good but also human. He was bound to have an off-leg, and fortunately for the show, it was getting to the latter stages. While Sherrock maybe should not have been one of the challengers, she did manage to take a leg off the two-time world champion and reaped the rewards."
Mats Leering, editor for DartsNieuws.com, believes the PDC would have been delighted with the outcome. "I think Beat Luke Littler was a huge success. Although I have to admit that, personally, I didn't feel it added much in terms of entertainment, I believe it was a massive commercial hit. The fact that Fallon Sherrock, of all people, ended up being the one to beat Littler made it an even bigger story. From the PDC's perspective, I don't think the evening could have worked out any better. While many expected Littler to comfortably win leg after leg, it quickly became apparent that the breaks between matches made it difficult for the world champion to find his rhythm. There were plenty of wayward darts, and he simply wasn't anywhere near as sharp as we've become accustomed to seeing. By the time Sherrock stepped onto the stage, I already had a feeling she would be the one to beat him. And if she hadn't managed it, I reckon Mitchell Lawrie would have got the job done. For Sherrock, this is yet another enormous boost to her career. After making headlines around the world with her historic performances at the World Darts Championship, she has now pocketed more than half a million pounds by defeating the best player on the planet. There's little doubt that this achievement will open even more doors for 'The Queen of the Palace'. So, while I personally didn't find the event particularly entertaining, I think it was an overwhelming success for the PDC, Netflix and, above all, Fallon Sherrock."
Nicolas Gayer, editor for DartsNews. DE, called the event a breath of fresh air on paper and lauded Sherrock. "I was genuinely impressed by the production. The venue itself, the punditry panel, the walk-on tunnel positioned directly behind the centre of the stage and, of course, the high-quality broadcast and camera work you would expect from Netflix. And that is exactly why I am generally quite open to events like this. They do no harm, and at their best, they can bring a breath of fresh air to a sport where the presentation tends to look pretty similar from one event to the next. Netflix entered the world of darts broadcasting as a complete newcomer — and approached the whole thing with a fresh perspective. I really liked that. As for Fallon Sherrock, all I can say is: hats off. Half a million pounds on the line, and all the 'Queen of the Palace' needed was two darts at tops. Once again, she proved that she was made for the biggest stages. While the Englishwoman has visibly struggled in recent years to get anywhere near the professional circuit through floor events such as the Challenge Tour and Q-School, I have absolutely no doubt that you could put Sherrock on just about any of the biggest darts stages in the world, and she would be more than capable of holding her own. I can think of quite a few players in the world's top 32 who would pay good money to have that kind of quality."