Luke Littler has spent the past few years making some of the best darts players in the world look ordinary. Now, the world number one faces a completely different challenge, and the consequences of losing could be just as spectacular as the prize money on offer.
The upcoming Beat Luke Littler event will give 24 contestants the opportunity to defeat the teenage superstar in a single leg of 501 and walk away with £501,000. The live show takes place at Manchester Central on Friday, October 30, and the announcement of the line-up has already divided darts fans.
Some contestants have serious experience, some are promising young talents, and others are relative unknowns. But with only one leg needed to cause an upset, writing anyone off completely would be a mistake.
Here is how the leading challengers compare, who could give Littler the biggest headache, and why this Netflix event might be more competitive than it first appears.
The Format Changes Everything
Before assessing the contestants, it is important to understand why this competition is different from a normal darts tournament.
Littler will not need to win a long match or survive several sets against each opponent. Instead, each challenger gets one leg of 501 to beat him, with the first player to finish on a double taking the leg.
That makes the format brutally simple. One missed double, one unexpected maximum score, or one nerveless finish from an opponent could end Littler’s evening.
The event was promoted as an opportunity for amateur players to take on one of the sport’s biggest stars. However, the eligibility rules excluded current and former PDC Tour Card holders rather than everyone with previous competitive experience, meaning the final line-up includes several recognisable names from the darts circuit.
That distinction matters. These are not necessarily 24 people who have only thrown darts in their local pub. Some have competed on established circuits, while others have earned impressive results in youth or amateur competitions.
Mitchell Lawrie Looks Like the Man to Watch
If there is one contestant who could genuinely frighten Littler, Mitchell Lawrie deserves to be near the top of the conversation.
The Scottish teenager has already built an impressive reputation despite his age. He reached the WDF World Championship final at Lakeside in 2025 and has continued to attract attention as one of the sport’s brightest young prospects.
Lawrie’s biggest advantage is that he understands competitive darts. He is not simply turning up hoping to hit a few treble 20s in front of the cameras. He has experience playing under pressure and has demonstrated that he can compete against established opposition.
My rating: 7/10.
That is not a prediction that Lawrie will beat Littler. It is an assessment of his ability to make the most of a single opportunity.
The interesting question is whether the occasion will inspire him or make him overthink the moment. At 15, he has plenty of time to develop, but this could be an extraordinary opportunity to announce himself to a much wider audience.
Jayden Walker Could Spring a Surprise
Another name that deserves attention is Jayden Walker, the 14-year-old talent who has already produced results that make people sit up and take notice.
Walker became the youngest winner of a senior WDF ranking title after winning the England International Open in October 2026. He also defeated former world champion Luke Humphries in an exhibition match in 2024, recording an average of 102.
Those achievements do not guarantee anything against Littler, but they show that Walker has genuine ability.
There is also an intriguing psychological element. Walker has previously been compared with Littler because of his age and potential. Facing the player whose career trajectory has become a reference point for young darts players would be a major moment.
My rating: 6/10.
The youngster has the talent to make the contest interesting. Whether he can reproduce his best darts under the pressure of a live Netflix broadcast is another matter entirely.
Fallon Sherrock Brings Experience and Belief
Fallon Sherrock is arguably one of the most recognisable names in the line-up.
She made history at the 2019 PDC World Championship by becoming the first woman to win a match at the tournament, defeating Ted Evetts before beating Mensur Suljovic. She subsequently reached the quarter-finals of the 2021 Grand Slam of Darts.
Sherrock knows what it takes to perform on a major stage, and that experience could prove valuable when the cameras are rolling and the prize money is impossible to ignore.
My rating: 6/10.
She is not the obvious favourite against Littler, but her competitive background makes her a credible challenger.
The one-leg format also means she does not need to be better than Littler across an entire evening. She needs one outstanding leg, and that is a very different proposition.
Ashley Coleman and Jacob Gwynne Deserve Respect
Ashley Coleman is another contestant who could make life uncomfortable for the world number one.
A regular on the MODUS Super Series, Coleman narrowly missed out on securing a PDC Tour Card at Q-School in 2025. His experience on the competitive circuit makes him a more serious threat than someone whose darts background is largely recreational.
My rating: 6/10.
Jacob Gwynne also deserves consideration. He has competed on the PDC Challenge Tour and previously faced Littler in the PDC World Youth Championship.
That familiarity could help him settle into the occasion, although it would be unwise to assume that previous meetings automatically translate into an advantage.
My rating: 5/10.
Neither player needs to dominate Littler to win the prize. They simply need to produce their best darts at precisely the right moment.
Jasper Scarrott Could Be a Dangerous Outsider
Jasper Scarrott is another name that should not be overlooked.
The 54-year-old has competed on the Challenge Tour and MODUS Super Series, and he has demonstrated the ability to produce a nine-darter. That achievement is a reminder that even a player who is not a household name can deliver a remarkable performance.
My rating: 5/10.
A perfect leg is not necessary to defeat Littler, but a player needs a combination of scoring power, finishing ability and composure. Scarrott has enough competitive experience to make him an interesting outsider.
David Wawrzewski and Zac Griffiths also bring experience from competitive darts, while Jarod Becker has impressed in youth competition. They may not receive as much attention as Lawrie or Sherrock, but they should not be dismissed.
The Biggest Underdogs Still Have a Chance
Not every contestant enters the competition with the same level of experience.
Tony Cole reportedly has never played a darts match against another person, making Littler potentially his first opponent in that setting. Meanwhile, Théodore Wallich only began playing darts three years ago.
Their chances of defeating the world number one appear considerably smaller than those of the more experienced competitors.
However, this is precisely where the format becomes fascinating. The underdogs do not have to prove that they are better players over several sets. They need one leg in which everything goes right.
My rating for the least experienced challengers: 1–3/10, depending on their competitive background.
Those ratings are subjective assessments, not official probabilities. A low rating does not mean an upset is impossible, particularly when the stakes could make the favourite feel the pressure as well.
Why Littler Should Still Be the Favourite
Despite the potential threats, Littler remains the man everyone has to beat.
His scoring power, finishing ability and experience against elite opposition give him a substantial advantage. He has already shown that he can perform under enormous pressure, and he will know that the challengers are facing a much bigger psychological hurdle than he is.
But there is a catch: Littler cannot afford to treat the competition like a routine exhibition.
Every opponent will arrive knowing that one successful leg could change their life. That motivation could produce some extraordinary darts, while Littler will have to manage the pressure of being expected to win every time he steps up to the oche.
The challenge is not simply beating one player; it is surviving repeated opportunities for someone else to produce a winning leg.
Final Verdict: Can Anyone Really Beat Luke Littler?
The strongest candidates appear to be Mitchell Lawrie, Jayden Walker, Fallon Sherrock and Ashley Coleman, with several experienced outsiders capable of making things interesting.
Littler should still be considered the favourite, but the format creates genuine uncertainty. Over a long match, his class and consistency would be expected to shine through. In a single leg, one mistake could be enough to end his night.
That is what makes Beat Luke Littler such an intriguing prospect. It combines a superstar, a huge financial reward and a format in which even the biggest underdog has a chance to create a sporting moment that nobody will forget.
Who do you think has the best chance of beating Luke Littler and claiming the £501,000 prize: Mitchell Lawrie, Jayden Walker, Fallon Sherrock, or someone else entirely?