Luke Littler Makes Feelings Clear After Being Snubbed at SPOTY

Luke Littler has made his feelings clear after not winning either of the Sports Personality of the Year awards he was nominated for.

Reigning world darts champion Littler was one of six nominees for the award, having finished as runner-up to Keely Hodgkinson last year.

Over the past 12 months, the 18-year-old won his first world title and achieved further success at the UK Open, Grand Slam, World Matchplay, World Grand Prix and Players Championship Finals.

The SPOTY award was won by Rory McIlroy, who became the fourth golfer in history to complete the career Grand Slam after he won the Masters earlier this year.

The Northern Irishman also played a key role in Team Europe's Ryder Cup victory at Bethpage Black.

Ellie Kildunne was voted into second place after leading England to win the Women's World Cup in rugby union, with McLaren's Lando Norris voted third following his maiden F1 Drivers' Championship.

Littler and the Lionesses duo of Hannah Hampton and Chloe Kelly, who both won Euro 2025, were the nominees who missed out on the top three.

BBC traditionally used to reveal specific voting data, including percentages, but haven't done so in recent years - meaning fans won't know how close any of those names were to making the top three.

Littler was also nominated for the Young Sports Person of the Year award, which was won by England forward Michelle Agyemang.

'The Nuke' was not in attendance at the event in London as he was in St Helens practicing for his World Darts Championship second round match against Dai Davies.

But he did appear remotely for a live interview segment with Clare Balding - and took to Instagram after the show to voice his apparent disappointment at one of the results.

"Thanks to everyone who voted for me, appreciate it," he said. "As for young SPOTY wow fair enough."

He captioned the post with a hands over eyes emoji.

However, he did go on to congratulate all the winners and posted each of them to his story, and wrote on McIlroy: "Well done Rory McIlroy never in doubt mate unreal year."

As well as the main two awards, Swedish pole vaulter Armand Duplantis was named as the World Sport Star for 2025.

Sarina Wiegman was named as the Coach of the Year after leading the Lionesses to the Euro 2025 title, while Team Europe won Team of the Year for winning the Ryder Cup.

The Helen Rollason award went to Sergio Aguiar and David Stancombe, the fathers of Alice da Silva Aguiar and Elsie Dot Stancombe, two of the three children who were killed in the Southport attack last year.

The pair ran the 2025 London Marathon and have set up community-based projects in Southport that support young children and their families.

A third project, Bebe's Hive, has been set up by the parents of Bebe King, the third girl who was killed in the attack.