Fallon Sherrock says she has “overcome the hate” after beating Luke Littler to win the second-biggest prize in darts history.
The 32-year-old was crowned champion of Netflix’s ‘Beat Luke Littler’ on Friday night after she overcame the double world champion in a one-off leg of 501 to claim a mammoth £501,000 prize.
Only Littler himself has taken more from a single prize pot, the £1million he collected for his second World Championship in January.
This was not Sherrock’s first foray into the limelight, as she created history by becoming the first woman to win at the World Championship when she made the third round seven years ago and she went on to break several other barriers in the game.
Littler was facing up to 20 different contenders, each trying to beat him in a single leg
But her inclusion in the line-up for the TV show attracted criticism given her stature in the game, even if she met the criteria for applicants because she does not hold a PDC Tour Card.
“I mean it’s been tough,” she said. “Because obviously I do see the backlash and I do see all the negative comments.
“But at the end of the day, I fit the criteria for this. I’ve never had a tour card, and I wouldn’t class myself as a pro really, because all I do is just play darts for the enjoyment of it.
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“I think people forget where I started off as well. When I won at the Worlds, I was still just doing WDF (World Darts Federation).
“I’m just so happy to overcome all the hate and win.”
Sherrock, who was the 15th competitor to take on Littler, was joined in the line-up by WDF number one Mitchell Lawrie, Mark Pooke, who played Phil Taylor in a professional event almost 20 years ago, and prodigious teenager Jayden Walker, who has taken a leg off Littler at an exhibition event.
There were also everyday players such as a bin man, an Australian jockey and a Nando’s manager.
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PDC chief Barry Hearn, who was involved in the audition process, defended the line-up.
Asked whether Sherrock’s inclusion was unfair, he was unequivocal.
“No, not at all,” said Hearn. “She’s not a PDC Tour Card holder. She’s entitled to enter. Why should she be denied?
“She’s a well-known player and she’s a very good player. But Mitchell Lawrie is a very well-known player and an excellent player.
Fallon Sherrock played a starring role at the ‘Beat Luke Littler’ event
“Do you want just a series of 20 matches where someone can’t even throw a dart? No, of course we want excellence competing against excellence, and that’s what it was all about.”
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