Luke Littler was booed during his World Darts Championship showdown with Rob Cross on Monday evening and reacted by aiming a dig at the crowd. The 18-year-old cruised through to the quarter-finals of the tournament after securing a 4-2 victory against his rival.

Littler has been a darts fans’ favourite since defying the odds to reach the World Championship final during his maiden appearance at Alexandra Palace two years ago, when he was still only 16. But some of those in attendance in north London on Monday may have grown weary of his dominance in the sport as they attempted to level the playing field and unsettle the teenage sensation in an effort to string out the match for as long as possible. And he didn’t react well to the jeering at all.

In the immediate aftermath of his victory, Littler told the crowd on stage: “I’m not bothered [by the booing]. Really not bothered. You guys pay for tickets and you pay for my prize so thanks for booing me. No one wanted me to win but I proved them wrong yet again.”

He then backtracked during his post-match press conference as he admitted: “I think I lost it (his temper). I think it’s still on there (the stage). The fans have done what they done and I’ve reacted as any other player would really.”

Littler has typically been well backed by the crowd at Ally Pally, with a new generation of fans watching darts solely due to his meteoric rise over the course of a few weeks at the end of 2023. But the talented star may have created a brand-new problem for himself due to his outburst.

Some darts enthusiasts will not like the fact that he alluded to the amount of money he will be earning during this season’s World Championship.

Others may feel he should have accepted the boos in a more jovial spirit. After all, supporters at Ally Pally are habitually raucous every time they set foot in the venue.

And there will also be those who feel that Littler has revealed a vulnerability and can be distracted by a few jeers.

Whatever position the darts enthusiasts take, Littler will have done himself no favours with his comments on the stage. And he will need to get the fans back on side if he doesn’t want them to turn against him for good.

Otherwise, he may soon be faced with a situation where fans create a hostile environment every time he takes to the stage, which has never happened to the teenager before.