FRIENDS have revealed the real reason why darts sensation Luke Littler has split from his girlfriend Eloise Milburn.
Pals said Luke, 17, and Eloise, 21, had called time on their ten-month relationship after struggling to make time for each other.
A source said: “Luke and Eloise have broken up and it is still very raw.
“He is naturally very upset but they have agreed to stay friends.
“Luke and Eloise tried hard to make their relationship work but with his darts schedule, he is travelling non-stop.
“It has become increasingly difficult for them to spend quality time together.
“He is so focused on his sport and that is taking up so much of his time.
“Calling time on their relationship seemed to be the only way forward.
“There is no bad blood between them and Eloise is completely supportive of Luke’s career.”
Luke “The Nuke” started dating Eloise at the end of last year – just weeks before he became a household name after reaching the final of the PDC World Darts Championships in January.
Warrington born Luke and Eloise met back in August last year during a development tour in Leicester.
Their friendship turned into romance and Eloise became a firm fixture at Luke’s darts matches across the country.
She was seen cheering him on during the PDC World Darts Championships early on in their relationship and more recently Eloise flew to New York to watch Luke at the US Darts Masters last month.
Luke’s life changed overnight when he reached the final of the Championships in January.
He became a household name overnight and said the tournament had changed his life, admitting: “It’s one of those things with plane-loads of fame and plane-loads of followers. It’s certainly changed my life.”
Speaking to GQ, Luke added: “I think it’s me being so young, beating all these professionals who have been on the tour for 20, 30 years.
“Maybe people are looking up to me, because if I can do that, surely if someone practices for three, four years, then hopefully they can do what I’ve done.”
On Monday Luke was beaten 10-6 by Michael van Gerwen in their first round clash at the World Matchplay.
It was a disappointing blow for Luke, who in May won the Premier League after defeating world No1 Luke Humphries 11-7 in the final.
This year Luke has made history and has won five major tournaments since beating Luke to take the title.
Luke will next compete at the Players Championship in Milton Keynes before going Down Under for the Australian Darts Masters next month.
By Jon Boon
Luke Littler’s rise has continued at a staggering pace.
The darts sensation, 17, has raced to the top of the Premier League Darts table, is striking up a bitter rivalry with Michael van Gerwen, and has scored countless new sponsors.
On top of that, appearances on chat shows like The Jonathan Ross Show have made him a celebrity away from the oche.
And while things are going remarkably well professionally, the teenager’s personal life is being played out before our eyes.
Littler had scored himself a teenage romance with 21-year-old Eloise Milburn.
Their relationship was made public knowledge shortly after his displays at the PDC World Championships.
They shared a romantic kiss after he defeated Brendan Dolan in the semi-final, in front of millions of TV viewers.
While EA FC fans have been treated to the pair streaming their gaming sessions on TikTok.
That isn’t to say that they have confined themselves to their bedrooms playing on their consoles.
Most recently, they were spotted enjoying day out at Blackpool’s Pleasure Beach.
SunSport delves into their romance, beginning with how they met.
Early reports indicated Luke and Eloise, a keen darts player herself, met online, although they were soon quashed by the arrows wonderkid.
He told The Guardian: “That was a weird story they made up. We met on the development tour in Leicester in August but became friends at the last [tournament] in Milton Keynes.”
Love soon blossomed, despite the age gap between them.
But vicious online trolls targeted the pair on social media, with Littler now having someone manage his account to delete unsavoury comments.
“We knew people would find out [about their relationship] but it started off very bad,” Littler confessed.
“As the weeks go on [the abuse of Milburn on social media] has been almost forgotten. We’ve been talking for a few months now.
“I’ve brung her along to the worlds, got to the final and whatever people say, they can say it. It’s not going to affect me or my mental strength. I’ve got guys doing my Instagram now and they delete it before I see it.”
Eloise, herself, admitted: “It was tough to start with.
“The first day I let it get to me a lot. But you learn that as long as the pair of you are happy, that’s all that matters. The people that matter most are supportive of us.”
Although the pair are keen on video games, another bond Luke and Eloise share together is through sport.
They are football fans, with Luke a devout Manchester United fan.
Blonde Eloise follows Crystal Palace, and once shared a video watching the Eagles in action in the FA Cup semi-final two seasons ago, when they suffered a heartbreaking 2-0 loss in 2022 to Chelsea.
Back in January, Luke turned 17.
One of the first to congratulate him was Eloise, who sent him a loved-up social media post.
The beauty consultant shared several photos of them together on Instagram and captioned the post: “Happiest of birthdays to this one! Have the best day, love you.”
Being vocal on social media about Littler’s achievements comes second nature to Eloise.
After the teenage sensation made the World Championship final, she wrote online: “What a whirlwind of a few weeks it’s been. All I can say is I’m incredibly proud of what this one has achieved. Simples.”
Littler then replied: “In this together.”
Last weekend, Luke and Eloise did what millions of young couples do every year.
They took in the rides at Blackpool’s Pleasure Beach, with Littler enjoying a break in his hectic schedule.
The couple posted their visit on their Instagram and declared they had been “soaked” on the log ride.
In the joint post, Eloise wrote: “Wasn’t lying when they say you get soaked on Valhalla.”
But the couple were all smiles as they posed for a sweet selfie.
Life has been a rollercoaster ride for Littler and Eloise, as their relationship is being lived out in the public eye.
And it seems even in their spare time, they like riding on them too.
