Luke Littler, a darts sensation, had a lot riding on his first championship, including a unique offer from Jeremy Clarkson, 63.
The 16-year-old became a sports hero following his incredible achievements as he barreled towards the World Darts Championship final at Alexandra Palace.
Impressed by his rise to fame, the former Top Gear host tweeted a tempting offer of two years’ supply of beer to the child.
However, this offer came with a catch as Clarkson wrote on X: ‘This may turn out to be expensive but if Luke Littler wins tonight, I’ll give him enough of our brand new 0.3 percent Hawkstone Spa lager to last till he’s 18.’
So Littler not only lost out on being the Darts Championship’s youngest champion, but he also missed out on free drinks, not that he needs them with £200,000 in prize money.
Of course, the darts pro is just 16, which is under the legal drinking age in bars in the UK, but a pint at home is legal from the age of five.
Littler lost the final against Luke Humphries, who won his first champion title with a 7-4 victory in front of a raucous audience.
The Clarkson’s Farm star has not replied to the defeat, leaving it unclear whether Littler will still receive the beer or whether he would extend the offer to the winner, Humphries.
Other businesses, notably German Doner Kebab, have made guarantees to the boy if he succeeds.
GDK tweeted: ‘We can top that @jermyclarkson. We’ll give @LukeTheNuke180 free GDK doner wraps for LIFE (just need to ask our bosses to sign it off first 👀)’
Beer company Pilot added: ‘We’ll go even further. If he wins we’ll give him the keys to the brewery, four million pounds and our first born children.’
This may turn out to be expensive but if Luke Littler wins tonight, I’ll give him enough of our brand new 0.3
percent Hawkstone Spa lager to last till he’s 18.— Jeremy Clarkson (@JeremyClarkson) January 3, 2024
With all the hoopla, Littler may have missed the offer because he hasn’t answered, but perhaps Clarkson will send him some consolation beer.
Before Christmas, the controversial host sparked outrage with a piece in which he said that in order to create a green earth, humans may have to “live on pills made by AI machines in solar-powered factories” instead of food.
He added: ‘Compared, say, with carving a lovely piece of beef and opening the oven door to find your Yorkshire puddings are perfect for once. Who wants to live in a world without gravy?’
Peta, an animal protection charity, responded to his words by sending him a distressing picture book.
Peta’s Vice President of Programmes Elisa Allen sent the book to Clarkson along with a letter, sharing the ‘shocking truths and inescapable logic.’