Netflix's 'Beat Luke Littler' Line-Up Draws Fire Over a Not-So-Amateur Field

Netflix has named the 24 contestants for its live darts special "Beat Luke Littler," and the list has upset many fans. The show was pitched as a chance for everyday players to win life-changing money against the world number one, but 12 of the names have professional or semi-professional credentials, according to What's on Netflix.

The event streams live at 7 p.m. British time on Oct. 30. Netflix had not clarified how some of the players qualified under the original entry rules, What's on Netflix reported.

The numbers behind the controversy

• 24 contestants. They range in age from 14 to 57 and come from across the U.K. and beyond. Netflix says the group includes schoolchildren from Wales and Scotland, a bin worker, a restaurant manager, a former British Army captain and an Australian jockey.
• 12 players with pro or semi-pro records. What's on Netflix listed them, among them Fallon Sherrock, the 2022 Women's World Matchplay champion, and Mitchell Lawrie, ranked first in the World Darts Federation rankings.
• Ranked between 34th and 250th. Several of the 12 hold positions in the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) rankings. Ashley Coleman is 34th, Zac Griffiths 96th, Jacob Gwynne 97th and Jarod Becker 250th.
• £501,000. This is the cash prize at stake, according to both Sporting Life and What's on Netflix.
• 20 spots. What's on Netflix said 20 places are up for grabs. Once they are decided, contestants will be split into groups and randomly drawn to face Littler.
• 19 years old, 28 PDC titles. Littler is the two-time defending PDC World Champion. His titles include 13 major singles wins, and he has two PDC Player of the Year awards.

What the entry rules said

When Netflix announced the event in July, the eligibility rules said applicants must never have held a PDC Tour Card, according to What's on Netflix. That card is the licence that gives full-time access to the PDC's professional circuit. The outlet said several players on the list rank high enough that fans are asking how they met that condition.

Littler said of the show: "Everyone thinks they can beat me." Netflix's description promised "everyday players in the United Kingdom" a chance at big money.

How fans and applicants reacted

When Netflix U.K. posted the line-up on X, many replies came from disappointed fans, What's on Netflix reported. Some said they thought the show was meant for pub players. Others pointed out that Sherrock and Lawrie are far from amateurs. One user suggested the show should be reported to the broadcasting regulator Ofcom. A few viewers were open to mixing in known names, and one suggested a surprise-entrant format.

Sporting Life's Chris Hammer, who tried out in Manchester, wrote that the line-up sparked outrage among fans and among amateurs who missed out. He said his own audition ended after a poor first visit to the board. The first challenge for every applicant was to finish a leg of 501 in 24 darts or fewer.

Hammer focused on John Steele, a 44-year-old British citizen who lives in Somerset West, near Cape Town, South Africa. He said Steele spent thousands on travelling to Manchester with his two children. Steele cleared the 501 test in the rain and went through the interview rounds before a panel of Barry Hearn, Phil Taylor and Laura Turner. Hammer said Steele reached the final 100 but was not in the final line-up. He described Steele as a player who averages in the 65-75 range on an African PDC affiliate tour and who owns a darts shop in South Africa.

Why it matters for viewers and would-be contestants

For viewers, the dispute is about what they will see on Oct. 30. The show was marketed around ordinary players taking on a world champion, but the field includes people who compete regularly on organized circuits. That could change how competitive the challenge looks, and What's on Netflix noted that ranked players may make it harder for Littler to get through the field untroubled.

For people who applied, the question is about fairness and cost. Some applicants queued for hours in Manchester and, in at least one case, travelled internationally on the understanding that the event was aimed at amateurs. The unanswered question about how the ranked players met the Tour Card rule is likely to keep the debate going until the broadcast. Netflix has not responded publicly, according to What's on Netflix.

Around Prague, based on reporting by Sporting Life, What's on Netflix