Emma: Littler will find it "tough" to win Sports Personality

EMMA PATON admits it will be “tough” for Luke Littler to win Sports Personality of the Year.

The classy presenter believes it depends on the achievements of other sports stars whether The Nuke can become the first darts ace to land the BBC gong.

Littler, 19, is aiming for a clean sweep of major titles having already won the World Championship, Masters, UK Open, Premier League, World Cup and World Matchplay.

He has won Young Sports Personality and finished runner-up in the main award in 2024 to Keely Hodgkinson. Phil Taylor is the previous darts ace to finish runner-up, he missed out to jockey AP McCoy in 2010.

But on Littler’s chances this year, [Paton told Leasing Options](https://www.leasingoptions.co.uk/news/blog/emma-paton-on-luke-littlers-dominance-the-rise-of-darts-and-life-behind-the-scenes/9088): “I think it's tough. It's so dependent on what else has happened that year as well.

“Obviously we've had a major tournament this year in terms of the World Cup, so it depends on who he's competing against.

“So at the end of 2024, it was the year Keely Hodgkinson won Sports Personality, and I thought - I'm a big athletics fan - so I completely get that. She's won a gold medal at the Olympics, which is very hard to compete with in the 800 metres.

“But I felt for Luke Littler that year because I thought, I know he didn't win the World Championship but maybe he would have won Sports Personality if he did.

“I was looking at it more from the impact that he'd had on the sport, and I think that was a little bit lost.

“You know, it's not as simple. His achievements are incredible, stand-alone, but I just thought the impact that he's had on darts, I find that really hard for someone else to compare with because, the interest in it has just exploded, gone through the roof.

“And obviously last year it was Rory (McIlroy) off the back of The Masters, and that was an incredible story and just such a fantastic achievement.

“So it kind of depends what he's up against. Like, you know, I'm a sports lover, so I can understand the other winners, but I just felt like that year, when he'd made it to the final, just because of the sheer impact he'd had on darts and its popularity.

“I thought maybe there was an argument to say he could have won it then. I'm not sure he'll get his hands on it this year, but let's see what happens.”

Image by Taylor Lanning.