Netflix fire back with statement after fans rage over Beat Luke Littler including pro players

Netflix have made it clear that well-known darts stars were made to queue up and audition alongside thousands of other hopefuls being selected for the live show, Beat Luke Littler.

The programme, which is live on Friday (October 30), was initially billed as a chance for pub players to take on Littler in a 501 leg to win £501,000, but eyebrows were raised when a series of well-known players were announced on last week's lineup.

Fallon Sherrock, the only woman to win a World Darts Championship match and reach the third round at Alexandra Palace, was the standout name alongside teenage prodigy Mitchell Lawrie, who became the youngest player to win a match at the WDF World Championship in November 2025.

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Netflix defends decision to include pros in Beat Luke Littler

To book a spot in the 24-person line-up, contestants were put through a rigorous three-stage audition process. Firstly, they had to check out a leg of 501 in 24 darts or fewer, and anyone who failed was immediately eliminated.

Those who progressed were then interviewed by the show's production team to assess their suitability for television and, if they reached the third stage, they had their throw assessed by some of the sport's biggest names, Wayne Mardle, Laura Turner and Phil Taylor.

Sherrock and Lawrie being among the names included raised the theory that Netflix had asked them to be on the show before the auditions. "Was hoping for bit more of a random lineup; I imagine Netflix would have penciled a few of these names in well before the auditions. I’ll still watch it though," one fan wrote on X.

"Is this a joke? I thought it was supposed to be amateurs," another commented, questioning why some recognisable figures in the sport were allowed to enter.

Netflix have since confirmed that the likes of Lawrie and Sherrock had to wait in queues for the heats in London and Manchester alongside the part-time and amateur players who believed they had a chance, while attending subsequent audition interviews.

"The application and audition process for Beat Luke Littler was exactly the same for everyone and open only to people aged 12 and over who do not hold – and have never held – a PDC Tour Card," a Netflix spokesperson told City AM.

"The final 24 that have been selected for the chance to face Luke this week, all queued up to compete in the heats in London or Manchester, respectively, and managed to complete a leg of 501 in 24 darts or less to prove their darting ability.”

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Who has the best chance of beating Luke Littler?

None of the players who are hoping to beat Littler have ever held a PDC Tour Card - a rule implemented by Netflix to give the average player a chance to progress through the audition process and face the world No. 1.

There are several on the 24-person lineup who have next to no chance of prevailing against the two-time world champion and would need to significantly up their levels to give him a competitive match.

One of the youngest on the list, 15-year-old Lawrie, doesn't have to worry about moving up a gear to compete after already being tipped to follow in Littler's footsteps.

Lawrie - nicknamed 'Wee Sox' - arguably has the best chance of being the Warrington-born superstar in a leg of 501, having already secured a victory over him in 2023.

"It was at the World Cup junior darts in Gibraltar in 2023, Scotland against England and we beat the team that Luke Littler was in," he recalled.

"We beat them 4-3 in a deciding leg and it's one of those memories that sticks with you forever.

"We also went on to win that tournament. It is the first time Scotland ever won the World Cup and it was my first year - it was something else.

"It was a surreal experience that I would love to have back."

Lawrie made headlines in December last year when he became the first teenager in history to reach the WDF World Championship final, only dropping one set in his previous matches.

The 15-year-old has since become the youngest WDF number one after adding the British Open, Irish Classic, and Welsh Open to his JDC world title at Alexandra Palace.

The Scot, who is eligible for the Development Tour next year, even went viral in March after hitting a nine-darter on the JDC Advanced Tour and will go viral again if he scoops the £501,000 prize on Friday.