Luke Littler remains at the summit of darts and is now a back-to-back world champion. The Nuke prioritised throwing darts over school, leaving at 16, and his decision appears to have paid off.

The Warrington-born superstar ascended to public adoration during his miraculous run to the World Darts Championship final on his debut two years ago, and proved that was no fluke by winning the title at the second time of asking.

Littler was impervious in defence of his crown this renewal, demolishing Gian van Veen 7-1 earlier this month to claim the £1million top prize. He has achieved all this, as well as winning a handful of major titles, at the age of 18.

The youngster could still be in school should he wish, but made the decision to leave education behind at the age of 16 after sitting his GCSE exams.

In 2023, during his meteoric rise, Littler was asked about his education. He admitted that he infrequently attended school in favour of darts and sometimes angered teachers because of this.

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"I was never really in," he said, speaking to The Times. "When I was younger, I just got on with what I had to do. I didn't get involved with anything else.

"At the beginning, they were a bit thingy with it, because I was having so much time off, but we were like, 'He's having time off because he's doing well and winning youth titles.'

"'He's getting to men's titles and winning them as well.' Then they got their head round it, and back end of last year I just went off to the Development Tour."

Littler left Padgate Academy, his Warrington secondary school, in the summer of 2023, having sat his GCSE exams. He revealed he only passed his sports exam, adding: "I did my sport. I got a pass in sport. That's it. Just sport."

When he was swashbuckling his way to a world final, chants of, 'You've got school in the morning' rang out from the Alexandra Palace crowd. Addressing the chants on Sky Sports, The Nuke shed further light on his GCSE efforts and not doing his A Levels.

"I did a few of my GCSEs and then I just never got into college because I won my Pro Tour card off the Development Tour," he admitted.

"I don't know where they've got that from, but it is funny to listen to them and just know that I've not got school in the morning. From the start of next year, it's just darts, darts, darts for me.

"It's funny to hear. It doesn't put me off. It does make me smile. Throughout the legs, throughout the sets, they're just always chanting my name, 'There's only one Luke Littler', the Kolo and Yaya Toure chants, it's just unbelievable to hear."