Who is the 16-year-old taking the World Darts Championship by storm - and celebrating with a kebab? - Beritaja

Sixteen-year-old Luke Littler is stealing The show astatine The World Darts Championship - and is now tipped arsenic 1 of The favourites for The title.

Nicknamed "The Nuke", The teenager's sensational performances person seen him large wind into The 3rd information and person won plaudits from his idol Phil "The Power" Taylor.

Here's everything you request to cognize astir The sport's caller prodigy - from learning to play in nappies arsenic a toddler to his celebratory meals going viral.

Playing darts astatine 18 months old

He whitethorn only beryllium a teen but Littler, from Warrington, Cheshire, has been practising his throwing for immoderate time.

He told : "There's a video connected YouTube of maine erstwhile I was 18 months in a nappy listening to Raymond van Barneveld's music, listening to Phil Taylor's music, doing their celebrations.

"That's erstwhile it started - 18 months and in a nappy connected a magnetic board.

"[Aged] 4 aliases 5 I was connected a due committee but it was a spot debased and past astir 7 to 8 (years old), that's erstwhile I started playing [at] The due tallness and The due length. So it's conscionable been each darts in my life truthful far."

Talent is 1 thing, but having The correct support strategy to nurture it is conscionable arsenic important.

The teen intelligibly thinks a batch of his parents, who he says are "proud" of what he's achieved truthful far.

"They conscionable can't judge (it), I can't judge it myself," he told .

"But it's conscionable bully to person a group of parents who are supportive and that are ever location for maine and I've sewage a bully guidance squad astir me. So it's conscionable The champion group of group that Can beryllium astir me, to beryllium honest."

Viral celebrations

A photograph of Littler celebrating his first information triumph astatine The PDC World Dart Championships pinch a kebab went viral connected societal media.

The 16-year-old's recently formed instrumentality guidelines astir apt expected a akin photograph to travel retired aft his 2nd triumph too, arsenic he told Sky Sports he'd astir apt tuck into different kebab to observe connected Thursday night.

A crippled twist came connected Friday morning, though, arsenic Littler revealed connected that he opted for a different celebratory meal.

"Last nighttime was conscionable a modular KFC," he boasted.

He's intelligibly a down-to-earth lad, but pinch a World Darts Championship fixture looming complete him until aft Christmas, will Littler's festive play consciousness a spot different to ours?

"It's conscionable for illustration Christmas each year," he said.

"Just chill, relax pinch The family, and evidently while they're doing whatever, I'll person to get connected The committee for a fewer hours each time and past evidently travel backmost down, whenever The schedule's adjacent out."

Fans and fame

Littler's personage position is rising pinch each dart he throws.

His Instagram relationship has gone from 4,000 followers astatine The commencement of this tourney to 23,500 and counting.

He told he could consciousness The nation's support while connected The large stage.

"Everyone's cheering, wanting my autograph and everything," he said.

"Even young kids having my darts garment on… It was bully to spot erstwhile I stepped connected The stage."

He besides talked astir The fame of his personalised "The Nuke" darts sets.

"After my first 2 games in Ally Pally, 900 sets sold," he said. "People each complete The world… [I] couldn't judge it. 900 sets, for winning 2 games astatine The Ally Pally!"

His profession truthful far

Littler won his first lucifer astatine The PDC World Championship connected Wednesday, averaging an astonishing 106.12 in his demolition of erstwhile Lakeside champion Christian Kist in The first round.

He past held disconnected a mid-match complaint from The knowledgeable Andrew Gilding to sound retired The 20th seed pinch a 3-1 triumph connected Thursday night.

Littler's matches person seen The famously rowdy crowd astatine London's Alexandra Palace (or Ally Pally) chanting: "You've sewage schoolhouse in The morning."

His early shape intends he's abruptly connected his measurement to being a family name, but his talent has been evident for immoderate time.

He won The England Youth Grand Prix in 2019, became England Youth Open champion in 2021 and won his first elder title astatine The Irish Open later that year.

He won The Welsh Open in 2022 and this twelvemonth notched further elder titles astatine The Isle of Man Classic, Gibraltar Open, British Open and British Classic.

The 16-year-old is besides a back-to-back JDC World Champion and reigning World Youth Champion.

Littler's sewage large dreams

The rookie reckons he Can spell each The measurement this year, and bookies intelligibly work together - he's their 5th favourite to return location The title trophy.

"If my A-game is location passim The tournament, past I don't spot why not," he told Sky Sports News erstwhile asked if he backs himself to triumph it.

"I cognize I've sewage a bully chance," he went on.

"I conscionable wanted to triumph my first-round crippled and past arsenic soon arsenic I sewage backmost to my hotel, I said to my dad, 'let's make judge we travel backmost aft Christmas'.

"Now I've overachieved and hopefully I Can hit Matt [Campbell] and overachieve again."

When asked astir his leader Phil Taylor backing him to triumph The tournament, he added: "What Phil has said, it's a bully thing. It's unbelievable - my idol talking astir me.

"I've sewage to hit whoever's in beforehand of me, and conscionable sewage to spell crippled by crippled and hopefully, I do triumph it."

The Power isn't The only erstwhile darts subordinate singing his praises. Sky Sports Darts' Wayne Mardle has said Littler is "probably The astir people talented subordinate I person ever seen in my life".

What's adjacent for Littler?

He'll look 34-year-old Canadian Matt Campbell connected 27 December, unrecorded connected Sky Sports Darts, pinch The last taking spot connected 3 January.

If he goes each The way, Littler will observe his 17th day connected 21 January arsenic The world champion.