Luke Littler has finally set the record straight about how he first met his girlfriend after the couple’s relationship was thrust into the spotlight during his run to the World Darts Championship final.
Competing in his first World Championship, 17-year-old Littler went all the way to Alexandra Palace before losing to world champion Luke Humphries in the final, and was supported throughout the tournament by his partner, Eloise Milburn, 21.
Fans were keen to know how Littler and Milburn, a beauty consultant who is also passionate about darts, first met as it was initially reported that they were introduced while playing the online game FIFA on Xbox. But Littler has denied this is the case and has now revealed their real first meeting.
When asked if their relationship started through FIFA, Little responded The guard: ‘No!
“That was a strange story they made up. We met on the development tour in Leicester in August but became friends at the last (tournament) in Milton Keynes.”
Luke Littler (right) has revealed how he really met his girlfriend Eloise Milburn (centre).
The relationship between Littler and Milburn was put in the spotlight during the World Darts Championship
Milburn was present for most of the tournament to support Littler who made it to the final
Due to the couple’s age difference, Milburn has been the target of trolls on social media over the past month since their relationship became public.
In the immediate aftermath of the World Cup final, Littler pledged to support Milburn and they are still going strong.
He insisted he would not let the abuse get to him, and has now made sure people delete particularly distasteful comments before he has a chance to look at them.
“We knew people would find out (about their relationship), but it started off really bad,” Littler admitted.
“As the weeks go by, Milburn’s abuse on social media has all but been forgotten. We’ve been talking for a few months now.
“I took her to the worlds, got to the finals and whatever people say, they can say. It won’t affect me or my mental strength. I have guys doing my Instagram now and they delete it before I see it.”
Milburn, who sat next to Littler for the Guardian interview, added: “It was difficult to begin with.
Milburn, a 21-year-old beauty consultant, has been abused online due to the age difference between herself and Littler, but she has the teen sensation’s full support
‘The first day I really let it get to me. But you learn that as long as you’re both happy, that’s all that matters. The people who matter most support us.”
Littler has given Milburn his full support since the tournament, but he let his darts do the talking during his memorable run at Ally Pally at the turn of the year.
In the final, Littler led 4-2 and had a dart at double two to take the lead 5-2 in the race to seven sets, but his attempt ended up just on the wrong side of the wire. Humphries would take that set and the next four to complete a 7-4 win.
Littler has admitted to rewatching his highlights from the tournament but couldn’t bring himself to watch the final again.
“Yes, all except the final,” Littler said when asked if he watched his matches in the following weeks.
‘As soon as that double two was missed, I didn’t have to see anything else.’
Yet Littler has not dwelled on the loss and has bounced back in stunning fashion to win the Bahrain Masters last week.
The teenage sensation hit his first televised nine-darter in his quarter-final against Nathan Aspinall, beating former world champions Gerwyn Price and Michael van Gerwen to lift the trophy.
Littler fell just short in his quest for his first world title and has admitted he has not yet rewatched the final
But Littler bounced back by winning the Bahrain Masters last week and is aiming for a major title this year
Littler looks to put his newfound fame into practice and has his sights set on winning his first major tournament this year to back up what has been a remarkable start to his professional career.
“I got over it straight away,” Littler said as he reflected on his eventual World Cup defeat.
‘Reaching the final was a bonus because I only wanted to win one match. You just have to come back stronger. That’s what I did in Bahrain.
“People could have said the world championship was a one-off, but it certainly isn’t because I won my first World Series (tournament) and my first attempt at checking things off the bucket list has been done. I would like to win a major this year.”