Darts star forgets wedding anniversary after being too focused on beating Luke Littler

Lewis Henderson
Sat, 18 Apr 2026 10:10:56 +0000

Darts star Jonny Clayton has admitted he forgot his 20th wedding anniversary after being too focused on beating Luke Littler on night 11 in the Premier League.

The Welshman, who currently sits top of the league, was too drilled in on his preparations that the significant personal milestone completely slipped his mind.

Clayton confessed to forgetting his wedding anniversary with wife Ellen, who remained at their home in Carmarthenshire during the event in Rotterdam.

"I had to do something special because it is our twentieth wedding anniversary. And I did forget. Maybe this makes it alright," the 51-year-old admitted.

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The Welsh veteran was tipped to finish at the bottom of the eight-man league before it got underway, with bookmakers writing him off before a dart was thrown.

Clayton said: "It hurt a little bit when somebody said I was favourite to finish bottom.

"That really hurt. That really annoyed me a bit to be honest."

The world number five has now triumphed in three of his last four Premier League encounters against Littler.

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Clayton, who is 32 years older than Littler, embraced the age gap between himself and the teenage sensation with characteristic humour, describing their rivalry as "the grandfather and the young kid" at the oche.

Despite the light-hearted comparison, the Welshman was quick to express genuine admiration for his opponent.

Clayton said: "All jokes aside, I have got total respect for Luke.

"He's absolutely amazing. This guy has got years ahead of him. Sadly at my age, my darts are going down a bit."

Clayton entered this year's competition as a wildcard selection, with many observers questioning whether he merited his place among the elite field.

The 2021 Premier League champion has now silenced those doubters, with three previous appearances at finals night already on his record.

"I have been here three times before and got to the finals night, so hopefully I can prove people wrong," he explained.

Clayton continued: "It's going well for me now and I have a massive smile on my face."

Reflecting on Littler's abilities, Clayton added: "Luke's an amazing darts player; he has shown us all what we need to beat him. And this old dog has got life in him yet."

The world number one was public enemy number one in Rotterdam following his bust-up with Dutchman Gian van Veen.

Littler lost to Clayton 6-4 in the final of night 11, in front of a noisy crowd expressing their discontent with the 19-year-old.

The two-time world champion found his entrance music, Greenlight by Pitbull, rendered virtually inaudible beneath a wall of whistling, booing and shouting.

The jeering started even before Littler got on stage, as his image on the pre-match screen immediately drew boos from the orange-clad supporters.

Reacting to the jeers, the 19-year-old said: "Exactly what I expected, the boos and whistles, but I knew as soon as I got on stage I could do my job."