Up-and-coming amateurs, bin collectors and the Queen of the Palace all had the chance to win £501,000 on 'Beat Luke Littler.' The Netflix event had been heavily promoted for months and gave 24 contestants the chance to play a leg against the two-time world champion.
Victory would mean a £501,000 payday, a life-changing sum for amateurs seeking to land the biggest throw of their lives and the single biggest prize outside the PDC World Championship in darts history.
The event has been criticised for not living up to its promise, with over half of the 20 contestants active in the darts world. Netflix advertised the event as a match between Littler and 24 amateurs, but defended the playing field.
"The registration and audition process was exactly the same for everyone. The 24 participants were all selected on the basis of the preliminary rounds," a Netflix spokesman said.
Sharrock the winner
Fourteen-year-old Jayden Walker, who became the youngest player to win a WDF senior event when he claimed the England International Open, also took part. However, the young talent had to watch as Littler checked out 158 while he still had 301 remaining on the board. As the evening wore on, the reigning world champion gradually began to show his first weaknesses.
Pearse Mackle from Ireland was eventually the first contestant, after seven failed attempts, to get a dart at a double, but his bullseye attempt landed well wide. The German contestant, Jarod Becker, then faced a vote. He took on Fallon Sherrock, who reached the third round of the PDC World Championship in 2020, and the 25-75 result went decisively to the latter, who would become Littler's 15th opponent of the evening
But the 'Queen of the Palace' lived up to her name and defeated 'the Nuke' with a 43 finish as Littler was still on 142. The prize pot of £501,000 was for the Englishwoman, who called the win a moment she'll never forget.
"It's insane. Honestly, I can't fit into words how much this means, and especially having Rory (her son), the first time he's ever been to anything, and he's seen me win," Sherrock told Netflix.
"It's a great moment, and I'll remember this forever. I'm like, give me an opportunity and I'll take it like every time. I don't know what it is, but I'm really proud of myself right now."