Fallon Sherrock defeated current world champion Luke Littler in a single leg of darts on Friday to win £501,000. The duel took place as part of an event called Beat Luke Littler, which was broadcast live globally by Netflix.
The event brought together a number of players who faced world number one Littler in a single leg at Manchester Central. Netflix presented the event as an opportunity that "gives amateurs a chance at life-changing money". Competitors were not allowed to be members of the PDC Tour.
Sherrock said after her victory that she was "happy to have overcome all the hate". She told the Press Association that the criticism before the event had been "tough" and that she had seen "reactions" and "all the negative comments". She added: "I have never had a tour card and I would not actually class myself as a professional, because all I do is play darts for fun."
Her inclusion sparked criticism on social media after she was named among the 24 competitors. PDC chairman Barry Hearn defended her participation on the grounds that she is not a professional as she does not hold a Tour Card. Sherrock is 32 years old and has achieved 21 wins on the PDC Women's Series.
Before facing Sherrock, Littler had beaten 14 amateurs, some of them only 14 years old. Sherrock was closest to the bull so she started first, hit 180, the third maximum of the night, and then hit double 20 to secure the prize. Her son Rory was in the audience.
Nineteen-year-old Littler won the PDC World Championship at the last two tournaments. 25,000 candidates applied for the competition. In the first part of the competition, players had to get from 501 to zero in 24 darts or fewer, and those who succeeded then went through a three-person interview before a panel consisting of 16-time world champion Phil Taylor, PDC chairman Barry Hearn and darts television commentator Laura Turner.
The event was supposed to feature 20 players, 16 of whom were selected directly, while the eight most experienced were spared, and Netflix viewers voted on who would be allowed to compete. Sherrock was in the vote against Germany's Jarod Becker and collected 75 per cent of the votes for the chance to face Littler.
Sherrock won £25,000 seven years ago by reaching the third round of the PDC World Championship at the Alexandra Palace. She beat Ted Evetts and Mensur Suljović before losing to Chris Dobey. She was nicknamed 'The Queen of the Palace', and in 2023 she was awarded an MBE for services to darts.
Her victory over Littler meant that the event ended immediately. The remaining five amateurs could not get a chance at the £501,000 prize. Irish 'Fierce' Pearse Mackle, a 21-year-old student from County Cavan who competes on the PDC Development Tour, was the eighth competitor and missed the winning bullseye, hitting a nine. He was the only player other than Sherrock to give Littler a scare.
Littler said he would donate the £501,000 to charity. The event was hosted by former England footballer Gary Lineker, while comedian Lee Mack and television presenter Richard Osman joined Turner in the expert team. The first challenger was 16-year-old Kasey Smith from Manchester, and Littler hit a treble 20 with his first two darts on the way to an easy win against him. Some of Littler's opponents had never played a competitive game of darts. John McDonald retired from his position as PDC chief of ceremony after the 2026 World Championship final and announced the players before their lavish entrances.
In January, the Australian Open presented the Million Dollar One Point Slam, which allowed amateur tennis players to win a prize by playing one point against some of the world's best players and other famous faces. Jordan Smith beat five-time Grand Slam winner Jannik Sinner on his way to a prize of one million Australian dollars (£496,835). Last month, 100 amateur drivers faced Max Verstappen in an exhibition kart race at Silverstone, and the four-time Formula 1 world champion needed only 14 of the planned 35 laps to overtake them all.
