Phil Taylor says an amateur darts player could have what it takes to beat Luke Littler in a single leg. The 16-time world champion made the claim after helping judge thousands of hopefuls at regional heats for a new Netflix show, in which contestants will have the chance to face the world No 1 and compete for more than £500,000. Taylor was on the judging panel as the search for up to 20 potential candidates to 'Beat Luke Littler' got under way in London on Saturday.
Taylor believes there is enough amateur talent for someone to have a 'Rocky Balboa' moment and win life-changing money. "The event is great to be honest, it gives people the opportunity to change their lives," said Taylor. "It's a Rocky Balboa kind of fairytale really.
It will boost the profile of darts even further. "The standard of the applicants has been really good so far, with a lot of talented players coming through. Any player who can throw a 12-dart leg has a great chance, but it's also about bottle as well as ability, so we'll see." "The amateur would need to have their best day and pray that Luke has a poor leg to be fair." Taylor joined Sky Sports pundit Laura Turner and PDC supremo Barry Hearn on the panel tasked with deciding whether applicants who had already made it through two stages of the process had what it takes to beat Littler in a one-off leg of 501.
Hosted by Gary Lineker, the live show will be streamed on Netflix on October 30, with the second qualification heat taking place in Manchester next Saturday. Taylor dominated darts for the best part of two decades and despite being in retirement since 2018, was emphatic in his belief that he could beat the 19-year-old. Yes!" he said, speaking to the Press Association.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player Thousands of amateur darts players aged 12 and over put their skills to the test in a rigorous three-stage qualification process at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park on Saturday. They had to check out 501 in 24 darts or fewer before the reality TV element of the competition came into play, with successful players then interviewed by the show's production team. The final stage required them to impress a PDC judging panel led by Taylor, who assessed their darting prowess and decided whether they had the ability to give Littler a realistic challenge.
Those who make the cut will progress to the live show at the end of October, with a life-changing prize on offer. Sky Sports remains the home of darts in 2026, with the World Grand Prix (September 28 to October 4, Grand Slam of Darts (November 14 to November 22) and the World Darts Championship (December 10 to January 3) all live. Stream darts and more top sport with no contract.
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