Luke Littler has reportedly landed himself a major role on a reboot of 1980s hit show Bullseye. A revival of the popular quiz will be fronted by cricket icon Freddie Flintoff and star Littler throwing darts.
The teenager will reportedly appear alongside Flintoff for a Christmas reboot of the game show. He will follow in the footsteps of darts legends Eric Bristow and Jockey Wilson, who appeared on the programme during its ‘80s heyday.
Littler is a major coup for producers with his journey to the World Darts Championship as a 16-year-old capturing the hearts of the nation earlier this year. Now 17, he has since won Premier League Darts and lifted an array of other titles in a remarkable breakthrough year.
According to The Sun, Littler has agreed to be the darts star for the Bullseye reboot, with the show set to air at Christmas.
A source allegedly told the newspaper: “Luke wasn’t even born when Bullseye was on our screens with original host, Jim Bowen. But Luke knows this is a plum role to have landed.
“As he steps up to the Bullseye oche he knows he’s following in the footsteps of legends including Eric Bristow and Jocky Wilson who all threw darts on the programme in its 1980s heyday.
“It’s also a coup for the makers of the new Bullseye as Luke is now one of Britain’s best-known players.”
The show will also mark Flintoff’s return to television presenting following his Top Gear crash in 2022. The former England cricketer, 46, was left with a number of severe injuries after an accident at Dunsfold Park Aerodrome in Surrey. He also recently collaborated with the BBC on a new show ‘Freddie’s Field of Dreams’ which saw him create a competitive cricket team out of a group of teenagers.
Flintoff said after the Bullseye revival was announced: “Bullseye was one of my favourite shows as a kid. I can’t quite believe I’ll get to host this.”
Meanwhile, Littler’s lifestyle has come under scrutiny following his first-round exit at the World Grand Prix. Former player Dennis Priestley believes the youngster is playing too many video games and has warned him not to take his talent for granted.
“It looks that way for Luke [getting distracted by things away from the oche like video games]. He’s not that good to be able to take things for granted,” Priestley told BoyleSports.
“The more times he keeps getting beat, the more it’s going to affect his confidence. He needs to inherit the aura about him like Phil Taylor had.”