Fallon Sherrock's illness battle explained as she wins 'Beat Luke Littler' on Netflix to claim £501,000
Fallon Sherrock was resigned to taking an extended break from darts midway through 2025 due to health issues - only to receive positive news before New Year ran out.
Sherrock defeated Luke Littler over one leg on Netflix to win £501,000 - a life-altering sum of money for a player that has now tripled her career prize money earnings just from playing darts.
The 32-year-old was the 14th contestant to take on 'The Nuke' in a one-leg shootout, Littler having dispatched the other contenders from a range of backgrounds and darting standards. All 24 players who were part of the event - a maximum of 20 could be chosen to play - had never held a PDC tour card, as per Netflix's requirements.
Sherrock has plied her trade on the PDC Women's Series this season, earning a spot at the World Championship at Alexandra Palace by finishing in third on the Order of Merit. She's also played on the MODUS Super Series - but there was a time where she didn't even think that was possible.
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Why Fallon Sherrock almost temporarily quit darts due to health issue
At the end of 2023, Sherrock told the Daily Star that she was still managing an illness related to her kidneys, which lowered their working capacity and which she had been dealing with for a number of years.
She was diagnosed shortly following the birth of her son, Rory, in 2014, and has to drink significant amounts of water as part of managing the condition.
In an interview with Online Darts in 2025, Sherrock - who did not disclose the exact nature or scale of the health issue she was dealing with at that time - said she had needed to pull out of exhibitions and had to 'narrow down' the events she was playing in last year.
"That hurts, because I love darts," she said. "Fingers crossed that in a couple of years time I'll be alright and back to winning really well.
"My main objective this year [2025] is obviously the worlds, but I want to try and get the Grand Slam. Because I feel like if I am going to have a year out next year, I'm going to try and get to everything ... I just need to sort myself out. I need to get myself well again and then once again, the sky is the limit because I know I can do it and I know how many hours I've got to put in. So I can do it, I just need the energy for it first."
'I've had some positive news...' - Fallon Sherrock on health battle in 2026
By December, however, her situation had changed, meaning that, having qualified for that year's World Championship, she was heading into Alexandra Palace knowing that she would be sticking with darts in 2026.
"I've had some positive news recently," she told reporters prior to the tournament, which saw her lose to Dave Chisnall in round one. "Hopefully I can just push forward now and have the game that I was having five or six years ago. I feel 100 per cent better than what I did.
"I definitely feel a bit more energetic and, you know, more positive in myself and less tired. My darts are slowly getting back to normal."
READ MORE: Fallon Sherrock interview: "My health is a lot better now... you'll be seeing me a lot longer!"
As mentioned above, Sherrock will be back at the World Championship in December after finishing behind Lisa Ashton and dominant Order of Merit winner Beau Greaves in the Women's Series standings. She will not be seeded and could face any of the top 32 players in round one - including a 'rematch' against Littler.
Despite entering Q-School in January, she opted not to play on the PDC Challenge Tour - meaning her best opportunity of gaining a full-time tour card for the first time will be via entering Q-School again next year.
If she does choose to try again and succeeds, Sherrock would be joining Greaves, who is the only active female, on the PDC ProTour, with 'Beau 'n' Arrow' into the second year of her tour card and currently on course to finish next year inside the top 64 to extend her card.
Topics: Darts
Ryan Smart