The victory of Fallon Sherrock over Luke Littler on the Netflix special Beat Luke Littler has drawn mixed reactions in Britain. The 32-year-old Englishwoman beat the reigning world champion on Friday night, earning a remarkable £501,000. While the British press has hailed her achievement as historic, some have also questioned Sherrock’s participation in the event.

During the special broadcast in Manchester, Littler had to beat 20 opponents. Each challenger had one leg to defeat the world number one and claim the entire top prize. The 19-year-old Englishman won his first 14 matches but then came up short against Sherrock.

The former World Championship sensation hit a 180, among other highlights, and eventually beat Littler in 15 darts. That brought the event to an immediate end, leaving the final five participants without a chance to compete.

British newspapers question Sherrock’s participation

Sherrock’s background has been a particular talking point in the English media. The Netflix show was billed as an opportunity for amateurs to take on the world’s best darts player. However, several participants had experience competing at a high level.

The Daily Mail notes that around 3,000 people auditioned for the programme, but that the final line-up also included semi-professional players and competitors with World Championship experience.

The newspaper is also critical of Sherrock’s standing in the darts world. “She may not be the best player, or even the best female player,” it writes. Her victory is regarded as remarkable, but questions remain over how well Sherrock fits the show’s original concept.

The Daily Express has also highlighted the debate. “Her participation in the tournament, which was announced as an event for amateurs, was controversial because she had already played PDC tournaments,” the newspaper says.

Sherrock is currently third in the women’s world rankings and does not hold a PDC Tour Card. Even so, she is no stranger to professional darts. In 2019, she made history as the first woman ever to win a match at the PDC World Championship. She beat Ted Evetts and Mensur Suljovic in succession at the tournament, earning worldwide recognition.

Fallon Sherrock won £501,000 in one stroke by beating Luke Littler.

“Sherrock was the one throwing the darts”

Not every British newspaper believes the criticism of her participation is justified. The Sun stresses that, regardless of her experience, Sherrock still had to beat the world’s best player herself.

“Even if she was there for the publicity, Sherrock was the one throwing the darts. She pulled off the stunt of the evening at a moment when Littler seemed unbeatable,” the English tabloid writes.

The Daily Express also acknowledges that Sherrock produced an exceptional performance. “She has now won the biggest prize ever claimed by a woman at a darts event.”

The newspaper also points out that she hit a 180, while the two-time world champion had struggled considerably more to do so earlier in the evening. “That is as many as Littler managed in his first 12 legs,” it notes.

Sherrock’s victory also earned her a sum far greater than the prize money usually available at women’s tournaments. The £501,000 top prize was a reference to the 501 points from which a leg of darts begins.

Luke Littler hopes Netflix show will return

Despite his surprise defeat, Littler took a positive view of the event afterwards. The Englishman congratulated Sherrock on Instagram and thanked the organisers for the chance to take part in the special broadcast.

“What an experience. Congratulations to Fallon for the win,” the world champion wrote. Littler also said he would be open to a second edition of the programme. "Enjoyed every bit of this process and want to say a massive thank you to Netflix for making this show a reality. Maybe we can do it again next year."