Beat Luke Littler event has secret back-up plan if he's beaten by first player he faces

Richard Osman has revealed that the 'Beat Luke Littler' event has a secret plan if the darts superstar suffers a shock early loss.

On Friday night, 24 non-tour-card-holding darts players will take on world number one Littler in a high-stakes tournament to win a whopping £501,000.

The tournament, which is set to be shown live on Netflix, will see the reigning world champion attempt to beat every opponent in a one-leg shootout, but what happens if he loses right at the very start of the evening?

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What happens if Luke Littler loses early during Netflix event?

Ahead of 'Beat Luke Littler' getting underway in Manchester, the rules of the contest have been made abundantly clear.

If any of the finalists wins their single leg of darts against Littler, they will take home £501,000 and the competition will end, meaning the darts superstar will have to win every leg and send the competitors home in order to survive.

Of course, the nature of this format raises the question of what Netflix will do if the first contestant steps up and eliminates Littler right at the start of the event.

Thankfully, this exact situation has been prepared for, as Richard Osman, who will be serving as an expert analyst during the show, has revealed details of a secret plan put in place by Netflix.

"That's the question I get asked most. And the answer to that is yes, that is the end of the game," Osman admitted on The Rest is Entertainment when asked if the competition would end if Littler loses early.

"That's why I wanted to do it because it's sport and it has to be real. And we've got 20 players. And yeah, if the first person beats Luke Littler, they win £501,000. And that is it. That is that money gone.

"That is, you know, 15 minutes of television for the price of three hours' worth of television. Netflix understand that all sports fans understand that. We've all paid per view for boxing matches that are over 15 seconds. So yes, that is the truth."

But that's not all Osman revealed, as he added: "We have a little stopgap, which I won't say what it is, because we might not have to use it. If one of the first few people wins.

"There is another pot of money and a very different style of tournament that also involves Luke that we will then play, which I think will be a lot of fun as well.

"As producers, that's the interesting question about it. If you produce the football, it goes for 90 minutes plus extra time. If you produce, darts or boxing or snooker, things can end much quicker.

"Someone can win nine nil at snooker, your programme is two hours shorter than if they win nine, eight.

"If you're watching the boxing and someone wins in the first round, you've got two hours to fill.

"The nice thing with this is it's open-ended. So if we go full 20 people play, we go full 20. If it's, you know, three or four or one, then as I say, we do have another very, very cool thing, which we're going to do, but it will be shorter."

Unfortunately for darts fans, Osman didn't go on to reveal any more details of what this secret plan is, but we could find out if things go wrong for Littler during the competition on Friday evening.

How to watch Beat Luke Littler live on Netflix

'Beat Luke Littler' will be broadcast globally on Netflix from 7 p.m. GMT on Friday, October 30.

The event is available to all subscribers, with no need to pay any additional costs.

The event is being held at the Manchester Central Convention Complex.

READ MORE: Glen Durrant names the top contenders to beat Luke Littler on Netflix show

'Beat Luke Littler' contestants revealed

Lauren Bloomfield (30), aka Bloomy – Kent, England

A Nando’s restaurant manager who has worked for the chain for more than a decade. Introduced to darts by her late mum, she hopes to use any prize money to give her two young children the best life possible.

David Wawrzewski (50), aka Wozzysonfire – London, England

A lifelong Manchester United fan who founded a darts academy for young players.

Wawrzewski has previously competed at PDC Q-School. In fact, the Plumstead-born thrower topped the first stage of Q-School in 2021 but narrowly missed out on securing a professional tour card.

Kasey Smith (16), aka Smiffy – Manchester, England

An aspiring criminologist who competed in Morris dancing before discovering darts. She has also appeared in amateur productions of Bugsy Malone and Matilda.

Jarod Becker (23), aka The Finisher – Hildesheim, Germany

A teacher who once dreamed of becoming a footballer but suffered repeated injuries. If he wins, he plans to open his own darts sports bar.

Katie Sheldon (22), aka The Dublin Diamond – Dublin, Ireland

A dedicated darts player and the first girl born on her dad’s side of the family in seven generations.

Sheldon has previously represented her country at youth and senior level. She won the World Masters Girls title in 2019 and has since established herself on the PDC Women's Series, reaching two Women's World Matchplay quarter-finals.

She helped Ireland retain the Women's WDF World Cup title in 2025.

Zac Griffiths (25), aka Boy In The Corner – Hereford, England

An electrical engineer with tattoos dedicated to all three Catfish and the Bottlemen album covers and WWE star Jeff Hardy.

Zac Spain (30), aka Zachariah The Electrifiah – Melbourne, Australia

A jockey who has competed in more than 7,500 horse races.

Spain travelled thousands of miles from Melbourne to Manchester to audition for Beat Luke Littler. He is a keen darts player. In fact, he was ranked 15th in Australia by the World Darts Federation in September 2026.

Makinley Cooper-Johnson (14), aka Mighty Mak – Wrexham, Wales

A karaoke and impressions fan, best known for his Freddie Mercury impression. He has promised his brother a new car if he wins.

Taylon Forrester (18), aka The Trash Man – Bedford, England

A bin loader and huge The Inbetweeners fan who has rewatched every episode. If he wins, he’d take his family to Jamaica to meet relatives they’ve never met.

Pearse Mackle (21), aka Fierce Pearse Mackle – County Cavan, Ireland

A University of Galway Commerce student who previously played youth darts for Ireland. His party trick is naming every county in Ireland in under 15 seconds.

Jayden Walker (14), aka The Young Gun – Christchurch, England

A young darts talent who gave up Junior Premier League football to pursue the sport.

Walker is widely regarded as one of the most talented young players in the game. He became the youngest-ever winner of a senior WDF ranking title in October 2026 after beating Aaron Turner 5-2 in the England International Open final, averaging 93.81.

Walker also made headlines in 2024 when he beat former world champion Luke Humphries in an exhibition match. He recorded an impressive 102 average that day.

Pwyll ap Llŷr Edwards (34), aka Cambi One Eighty – Bala, Wales

A fencing contractor whose first language is Welsh and who didn’t learn English until he was eight. He keeps bees at home, with six hives in his garden.

Tony Cole (39), aka Top Cat – South Wales

A bank business adviser who has never played darts against another person, meaning Luke Littler would be his first-ever opponent.

Jasper Scarrott (54), aka 9 Scarrott Gold – York, England

A British Army captain who has served for 38 years and became the first Army Darts Championship champion.

Scarrott is a talented player. He made history in September last year when he became the first player to hit a nine-darter on his MODUS Super Series debut. He has also competed on the PDC Challenge Tour.

Bhav Patel (36), aka Breaking Bhav – Kent, England

A pharmacist who owns and runs five pharmacies across Kent. If he wins, he plans to open his own darts venue to inspire the next generation.

Jacob Gwynne (27), aka The Cracker – Leeds, England

A Yorkshire darts player with a Doctor Who TARDIS tattoo who has previously faced Littler in the PDC Youth Championships.

Gwynne has competed on the PDC Challenge Tour and previously attempted to secure a professional Tour Card at Q-School. He has enjoyed success on the amateur circuit, winning five titles during The Vault 4.0 series in Yorkshire and Humber.

Théodore Wallich (23), aka The Moustache Kid – Paris, France

A student originally from Brittany whose signature moustache was inspired by his girlfriend. He has only been playing darts for three years.

Mitchell Lawrie (15), aka Wee Sox – Renfrew, Scotland

A school pupil and Rangers fan whose nickname came from his grandpa because he hated wearing socks as a child. If he wins, the first thing he plans to buy is a brand-new Rolex.

Lawrie has broken record after record in recent years. He became the youngest player to win a match at the WDF World Championship in November 2025, beating Tomoya Maruyama 3-0 at Lakeside before going on to reach the final.

He has been tipped to become one of Littler's biggest rivals in the coming years.

Ashley Coleman (29), aka The Prince of Darkness – Suffolk, England

A qualified bricklayer who owns more than 750 sets of darts, including vintage sets and darts used by professionals to win matches. He has competed in more than 1,000 tournaments over 23 years.

Mark Pooke (57), aka Who Are Ya – London, England

A maintenance technician who returned to darts after a 20-year break, encouraged by his wife. He has previously competed in PDC Players Championship events and represented London at county level.

Fallon Sherrock (32), aka Queen Of The Palace – Milton Keynes, England

A professional darts player and qualified hairdresser and barber. Her twin sister, Felicia, also plays darts, and Fallon would love the chance to beat Luke, whom she has never faced professionally.

Will Kemp (30), aka Tempo Kempo – Harrogate, England

A recruitment consultant who discovered his passion for darts while recovering from a heart attack at 29. He also plays Grade 7 trumpet and Grade 4 piano.

Sonny Johal (29), aka The Viking – Derby, England

A driving instructor and former amateur boxer who was named Junior Boxer of the Year for Derbyshire and the Midlands. He can move his pecs, eyebrows and ears independently.

Brett Todd (25), aka Jarra Arra Junior – Ipswich, England

A British Army helicopter technician and keen movie fan who collects cinema tickets. He has visited 39 countries and taken on solo skydives and the world’s second-highest bungee jump in Nepal.

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