Darts sensation Luke Littler is one of the favourites to be named BBC Sports Personality of the Year for 2024, with the teenager enjoying a whirlwind year like no other.

This time last year, the-then 16-year-old was an unknown but shot to fame in a matter of weeks as he powered his way to the final of the PDC World Darts Championships at Alexandra Palace. After beating the likes of Brendan Dolan, Rob Cross and his own childhood hero Raymond van Barneveld on the way to the final, he was eventually beaten by Luke Humphries but was undoubtedly the story of the tournament having garnered a huge fanbase.

Since bursting onto the scene 12 months ago, Littler has also won the Premier League – hitting a nine-darter on the way to beating Humphries in the final – and won his first major ranking title last month following a stunning performance at the Grand Slam of Darts.

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He is now the bookies’ favourite to win the World Championship title in the new year, but could well add the SPOTY trophy to his collection before then. Here’s a look at the teenager’s life away from the oche.

Stunning net worth

An incredible 2024 has seen Littler’s next worth explode as he went from an unknown talent to one of the biggest names in darts in a matter of months.

Finishing as a runner-up at last year’s World Championships, the teenager banked a stunning £200,000, with further wins in the Premier League, Grand Slam of Darts and World Series Finals seeing him boost his wealth considerably.

Heading into the latest World Championships, he is estimated to have a net worth of just over £1 million at the age of 17, according to talkSPORT. Of course, he could add up to £500,000 to this total over the coming weeks, having been tipped to take the jackpot and Sid Waddell trophy home from Ally Pally in the new year.

Such an increase in wealth has seen Littler and his family upgrade their home, moving from a modest £180,000 two-bed property to a plush rented five-bedroom house on Millionaire’s Row in Warrington.

Costing £6,000 per month, the house boasts boasts an indoor pool, large garden, home cinema and six bathrooms. The rent also reportedly covers pool maintenance and a gardener.

New mystery girlfriend

As Littler shot to fame, he had just started dating beauty consultant Eloise Milburn, having reportedly met her while they were both playing FIFA on Xbox.

An amateur darts player herself, then 21-year-old Eloise was seen supporting her new beau at Alexandra Palace, but soon found herself on the receiving end of abuse from fans, who raised concerns at the couple’s five-year age gap.

The “vile” abuse was slammed by her mother Amanda, who branded the comments as a “total pack of disgusting lies”, while Littler also condemned it and said he was committed to standing by his partner.

However, six months after the World Championship final, the darts star broke up with Eloise, who was said to have been taken aback by the decision which reportedly “came out of the blue”. Again, it was she who trolls targeted, with Littler forced to issue a plea to stop them from sending her hateful messages and explain that it was his decision to break things off.

Months later, Littler appeared to accidentally reveal that he was in a new romance. Known for his love of video games, he was taking part in a gaming live-stream with popular YouTuber Angry Ginge when a female voice was picked up on Littler’s microphone.

The voice said “I’m going to try and get some sleep because I am so tired,” with fans deducing that the darts star now has a new woman in his life.

Clash with rival

In March, Littler was involved in a confrontation on stage at the Belgian Darts Open, when his furious opponent squared up to him at the end of their semi-final.

German player Ricardo Pietreczko was furious at Littler for attempting an unconventional finish during the clash and made his feelings towards him clear as he stormed up to the Englishman and moved his face close to his before storming off the stage.

Littler beat Pietreczko 7-3 to set up a blockbuster final with Rob Cross, before going on to claim a maiden title on his Euro Tour debut. But after the semi-final, he faced accusations of “arrogance” from Pietreczko, having attempted to hit a 147 checkout via triple 19, double 20 and bullseye, only for his second dart to fall off the board.

“I appreciated him a lot that you can play such a game at such an age,” Pietreczko wrote on his Instagram story following the loss. “But I hope the arrogance punishes him.”

However, just four days later, the 30-year-old took to Instagram once again to issue a grovelling apology, writing: “Hi fans! I wanted to apologise for my behaviour on stage in Wieze.

“I was really proud of reaching the semi-finals but got a little bit too emotional and overreacted in the game. Sorry @lukethenukelittler and big respect for what you have achieved. And usually I am also a fan of fancy checkouts. Looking forward to the Pro Tours in Germany next week! Thank you for your support!”

A stunned Littler later explained that he was not sure what Pietreckzo had said to him after the match, but knew that he had a target on his back after taking the world of darts by storm.

“In that game, I just didn’t know what I did wrong,” he said. “I think, ever since I burst onto the scene, every player wants to beat me. Even my family and my manager have said I’ve always got to be on my A-game because anyone who plays me now, it’s a cup final for them.”