LUKE Littler’s romance saw the darts sensation and his girlfriend endure a “tough start” while he rose to fame – as pals have now revealed the “raw” breakup.
The 17-year-old’s relationship was thrust into the limelight when he hit the big time at the World Championships earlier this year.
On top of that, appearances on chat shows like The Jonathan Ross Show have made Littler a celebrity away from the oche.
And while things are going remarkably well professionally, the teenager’s personal life is also being played out before our eyes.
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.
Friends of the pair have now revealed how Luke, 17, and Eloise, 21, have broken up 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 and 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.”
Littler’s romance with Eloise 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 were treated to the pair live streaming their gaming sessions on TikTok.
That isn’t to say the former couple 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.
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.
Eloise Milburn
“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 shared together was through sport.
They were both 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 was 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.”
Life has definitely been a rollercoaster ride for Littler and Eloise, as their relationship was played out in the public eye.
LUKE LITTLER has taken the darts world by storm since exploding onto the scene at the PDC World Championship.
The Nuke reached the final on his Ally Pally debut at just 16 years of age – smashing records along the way.
He has since joined Jude Bellingham on the Forbes 30 Under 30 Europe list.
And the teenage titan even had to snub an invite from the WWE.
The Sun exclusively revealed that Littler is plotting to create a fitness empire.
He is also cashing in away from the Oche thanks to an Instagram side hustle.
And he’s even the face of a brand new cereal.
The wonderkid has now cemented his place among the tungsten elite by winning the Premier League Darts final – and the £275k top prize.
Check out all of our latest Luke Littler stories.
