Teen dart player's girlfriend faces criticism over the age‑gap

The breakout star of the World Dart Championships is none other than Luke Littler. This tournament, which is now wrapping up, saw the 16-year-old dart player make his debut and reach the final round, giving him the opportunity to win the championship as a teenager.

Prior to the World Championships, Luke Littler entered into a private relationship with Eloise Milburn, who is five years older than him. The two bonded over a mutual interest in video games and quickly rose to popularity following Luke Littler's spectacular performance at the championship.

Eloise Milburn's mother sheds light on the negative aspects of sudden fame. Luke Littler's girlfriend has been flooded with derogatory comments online. The age difference between her and the dart player has been a major source of criticism. Some have questioned the sincerity of the 21-year-old Brit, suspecting that she may be merely exploiting the World Championship finalist for his money.

"My daughter is a lovely young girl," Amanda Milburn, Eloise's mother, told the Daily Mail in defence of Eloise.

"There's been a lot of horrible stuff being posted online about my daughter and my husband Phil and I are very angry about it. Eloise has been accused of all sorts and that she's only with Luke because of his money and fame. But that's a total pack of lies and disgusting. She's not with him for any of these reasons. She doesn't care about his money or his fame, she's with him because she likes him. It's as simple as that," added Amanda Milburn.

Eloise's mother, Amanda Milburn, admits she has yet to meet her daughter's boyfriend, Luke Littler, in person. This is due to the early stage of the relationship between the two young Brits. Although Amanda wished to meet Luke in person during the World Championships, her daughter advised her against it.