Luke Humphries has been told he deserves more love in the world of darts after having the spotlight stolen from him by Luke Littler.
That is the opinion of darts legend Simon Whitlock, speaking exclusively to GB News as Modus Super Series launched its 24/7 darts channel on Pluto TV.
Darts has exploded over the last 12 months with much of the popularity being attributed to Littler's rise.
The Nuke reached the World Darts Championship in 2024 at the age of 16 before losing to Humphries, who enjoyed a phenomenal year having won the World Matchplay and PC Finals, as well as finishing runners-up in the Premier League and UK Open.
Luke Littler has stolen Luke Humphries thunder, Simon Whitlock says
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Despite winning the world title, it was Littler that had garnered worldwide attention - with the teenager going on to win the Premier League, the World Series Finals and the Grand Slam.
And now, the teenager has become the youngest world champion of all time when he beat Michael van Gerwen last month at the age of 17.
It has made Littler even more of a global star - despite the fact that Humphries is still ranked No. 1 in the world.
Speaking to GB News, Australian darts legend Whitlock believes that Cool Hand Luke has not been given the respect he deserves.
He said: "I do think darts is in its best place right now, absolutely. The two Lukes right now, darts has changed.
"Especially with Luke Littler, he is a new face and just won the World Championship.
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"He is doing so many good things for the game, same with Luke Humphries. The pair of them have just taken over the world.
"It is weird how they are both called Luke! But I think Humphries has sort of been left behind a little bit, he won the World Championship a year before.
"I feel a little bit bad for him because all the hype has been for Luke Littler. He deserved more for what he has done."
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Simon Whitlock was speaking exclusively to GB News at an event launched by Modus Super Series
Getty Images/Darren Gerrish for Pluto TV
Both Littler and Humphries have raised the game of darts to another level, meeting recently in the finale of Night 2 of the Premier League - ending in a narrow 6-5 win for the Nuke.
The two were huge successes on the PDC Development Tour before becoming professional - while Whitlock even faced a very young Littler during lockdown over Covid.
He added: "It is absolutely crazy [reaching the final at 16]. Luke Littler has been around for a long, long time. In lockdown, I played him so many times.
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Luke Humphries deserves more love, Simon Whitlock says
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"He was 13/14 at the time. The crazy thing was, I beat him every time then! I played him on the Pro Tour once. It was a play-off for the European Championships.
"I lost 6-5, I threw a nine-darter against him... and I still lost with a 101 average! That just sums up Luke Littler, he is an incredible guy."
Starting this year, the MODUS Super Series Darts debuted exclusively on Pluto TV. The new channel “MODUS Super Series Darts” features around the clock darts programming, including Super Series Tournaments, 104 Live Matches every week, in-depth features and documentaries that explore the journeys and stories of darts personalities, and more. The channel promises to be the ultimate destination for darts enthusiasts and newcomers alike, celebrating the sport in all its glory.
