Leon Littler, the older brother of darting sensation Luke Littler, has hung up his darts when it comes to playing against the newly minted world champion, fearing a bruising to his pride. The 17-year-old prodigy clinched his first World Championship title at Alexandra Palace last week with an impressive victory over Michael Van Gerwen.

Despite his youth, Luke's talent has been undeniable, although he concedes that once upon a time, Leon had the upper hand. Speaking to The Guardian in January 2024, Luke said: "My brother was actually as good as me, at one point he was better than me. When lockdown hit, he stopped playing but he's trying to get back into it. It's good to see him falling back in love with the game."

Now, Leon steers clear of the oche when it comes to facing his younger sibling, half-jokingly admitting that not even during the festive season would Luke let him notch a win.

Leon shared about avoiding matches with Luke: "I don't do it. I'm not going to embarrass myself. He's not going to let me win for a Christmas present is he? I used to play him all the time but I love watching him. Seeing my brother at that age, makes me happy because I know how good he is and how good he was. Even at the age of 10, he was showing signs of being a good player. We just didn't know we were going to be here twice in a row."

Littler, known for his early promise at just 18 months old, ramped up his game during lockdown, dedicating "hours and hours a day" to perfecting his craft. His commitment paid off with title wins following his intense practice sessions.

Fresh from his historic victory last week, which netted him half a million, 'The Nuke' took a modest holiday to Benidorm on a Ryanair flight, despite his newfound wealth. Accompanied by his supportive family-parents Lisa and Anthony, sister Caitlin, and brother Leon, along with Leon's partner and child-Littler is soaking up the sun and supporting his brother in a local darts competition.

As he approaches his 18th birthday, Littler visited Bar Players Sports Bar in Albir, where he cheered on his 21 year old brother. The bar celebrated his visit on social media, exclaiming: "Last night saw the first darts tournament of 2025 and what a night it was. With a special appearance from the Darts Champion of the World Luke Littler and his family and friends."