Luke Littler will not go easy on the amateur players trying to beat him in next week's Netflix show, as 20 hopefuls compete for a £501,000 prize.
The back-to-back world champion faces a one-off leg against each amateur, with the game ending if any of them checks out before him. Littler must win 20 successive legs to survive the live show, hosted by Gary Lineker and Richard Osman next Friday.
Amateur challengers include an Australian jockey and teenage brothers
Among those who made it through a stringent audition process are an Australian jockey and a pair of teenage brothers from Essex. Thousands of wannabes entered the auditions, which required checking out a 501 leg in 24 shots or less and gaining approval from 16-time world champion Phil Taylor.
The final decision on who makes it to the live show rests with the producers, bringing an element of the unknown.
Littler: 'I won't be going easy at all'
Asked if he will go easy, Littler said: "No way. There's half a million quid up for grabs, I won't be going easy at all."
He added: "I'll be wanting to beat everyone who comes up. Maybe the first few legs could be a bit nervy, but once I get going then I don't think anyone will stop me."
"If I lose one game then I'm done – that's the only difference. However, if I start off well then it's going to be very hard for my opponents to get into the game."
Preparation and nerves
Littler said there won't be much change in how he prepares: "I'll just do what I do normally – practice, have a little break and then practice again."
"I might be a bit nervous at the start, but as soon as I get going, I'll be alright."
He acknowledged the unpredictable nature of the show: "I think that's the fun part of the show, you don't know who the 20 are, you don't know how they are going to play and they only have to have one good leg and I'm done."
Littler also noted the stakes for the amateurs: "I think they are going to be nervous though because they're up against me and because the money they could win would be life-changing."
He concluded: "So I am just going to try and relax and enjoy it and hopefully beat everyone, but if it's not to be, it's not to be. I think we're in for a great night either way."
"I think it'll bring in a huge audience and hopefully more people will get into darts because of the show. I think it's going to do really well and I'm just really looking forward to getting started."
