The real reason why Luke Littler is keeping his new girlfriend out of the spotlight, relationship expert reveals

The nation’s eyes will once again be on 17-year-old darts sensation Luke Littler tonight as he takes on Michael van Gerwen in an attempt to win the World Darts Championship.

The teenager has gone from nobody to England’s most famous sports star over the past 12 months, taking both his sport and the mainstream by storm.

There is little doubt about his darts talent. He is the favorite to win the title and goes one step further than his second-place finish last year when he came up short against Luke Humphries. But his life outside the oche has also been in the spotlight.

Eyebrows were raised when it was revealed he was dating Eloise Milburn, 21, last year, but the two split last year before Littler took to social media to ask for privacy and for trolls to stop contacting Eloise.

But there is now speculation that he is back on the dating scene. In October, there was speculation that Littler had accidentally revealed his new girlfriend when a female voice was heard on a live stream featuring Angry Ginge.

If that’s the case, she’s kept out of the spotlight, a total contrast to Eloise, who was often seen at his matches. And relationship expert and Founder of Wingman Tina Wilson explained why.

Luke Littler may have a new girlfriend after an unknown woman spoke into his microphone during a video game livestream. Pictured: kissing ex-girlfriend Eloise Milburn while playing darts

Relationship expert Tina Wilson explained that the 17-year-old may want to enjoy dating without the pressure of committing to a long-term relationship

“There was a lot of media attention surrounding Luke’s latest romance, and at 17 he’s still trying to figure things out,” she said.

‘We shouldn’t be too hard on him because he is still a teenager. His last romance ended suddenly, and claims say his ex didn’t see it coming. I’m sure his emotional maturity will grow with age and experience.

‘I suspect he may be keeping his new romance private and may prefer to keep her out of the spotlight this time. Maybe even opt for a love interest who isn’t invested in darts this time either, because there’s a lot less pressure on him to invite them to his workplace where all eyes are on them.

‘This could explain why he reacted the way he did on the live stream. His microphone was on and his new alleged girlfriend was speaking into the room, which was innocently captured on audio. With any new relationship, he may want to take his time before making it public, especially if someone is in the media spotlight. Looking at the Rooneys, the tabloid pressure of their romance had its problems.

‘He is also young and has a lot to do professionally. Not that he shouldn’t have a girlfriend at his age, but maybe he wants to enjoy dating without the pressure of being in a long-term, serious relationship.

‘Building strong friendships in addition to romantic relationships can also provide him with a solid foundation of support and understanding during his formative years. He should look to his friends from school and not to sudden newcomers to whom he should turn for advice and support.’

The 17-year-old darts sensation was live streaming himself in a video game boxing match against popular streamer ‘angryginge13’, also known as Morgan Burtwistle, in October when an unknown female voice spoke into his microphone.

“I’m going to try and get some sleep because I’m so tired,” a female voice said into Littler’s microphone – and immediately Burtwistle attacked.

The revelation came a few months after the 17-year-old broke up with his ex-girlfriend Eloise Milburn, who was a regular at his matches.

He is the favorite to take the title tonight when he takes on Michael van Gerwen (left)

‘Who the hell is that? Who is this Lucas? Who is this Lucas? He had a blast there! Luke has had a blast,” the streamer said as others burst out laughing.

Littler’s first response was a simple two-word outburst that revealed his emotions: “F***’s sake.”

“Let her go to bed, Luke, come on,” Burtwistle teased.

“Your chat is going crazy,” Littler said. “F*** away. If someone recorded that, it will be in the paper tomorrow morning. Yes, well played. Why is the volume all the way up, idiot?’

Despite his swear words, Littler’s tone was good-natured and not aggressive.

Littler is said to have been left ‘very upset’ by the split with Eloise as their budding romance ended after ten months together.

The pair started dating a few weeks before the start of the World Championships last December and it wasn’t until May that they shared a holiday to New York together with other darts stars and Littler’s parents, Lisa and Anthony.