A hobbyist darts player who logged more than 20 hours of travel time to attend auditions for the Netflix show Beat Luke Littler has described feeling poorly served by those responsible for the production.
Twenty-four competitors have been named to face the player known as 'The Nuke' in a one-leg shootout format, with a live broadcast platform announcing the lineup ahead of the Manchester Central Convention Complex event, where a £501,000 prize will be on offer.
Criticism followed the announcement of the shortlist, with a number of those named carrying established profiles in the darts world — among them Fallon Sherrock, who has competed at the World Championship on multiple occasions, and 15-year-old Mitchell Lawrie.
Some observers pointed to a disconnect between the contestants Netflix selected and the platform's own publicised premise — that everyday people would compete directly against the sport's highest-ranked player.
John Steele, one of those described as an 'everyday player', spent thousands of pounds in travel costs to attend his audition, yet was not selected to proceed. Drawn by the prospect of a prize fight against Littler, Steele made the journey from South Africa to Manchester to compete for the purse on offer.
Within domino circles he had carried the nickname "Dominoman" for years, and it was at 44 that he brought his family to South Africa, settling there in 2010. Alongside running an online darts retail operation, he takes part in competitive play across the African darts circuit. Developing the sport within his adopted country occupies a notable share of Steele's attention and effort.
Appearing on television presented itself, in Steele's view, as a practical avenue for keeping that work on track. Putting together the Manchester journey cost him roughly £2,000 once flights, lodging, and additional outlays were tallied — a trip that generally demands about 20 hours of travel.
Steele cleared the threshold for the final 100 candidates, having navigated three darts rounds along with a panel interview that formed part of the selection process. The opening round required each competitor to close out a leg of 501 in no more than 24 darts.
Recounting the sequence to a television news outlet, Steele described posting scores of 125, 85, and 100 before following those numbers with an 11.
Following the darts rounds, Steele took a seat before a panel that included Phil Taylor, Barry Hearn, and Sky Sports analyst Laura Turner. Steele later described how his name was called within the first ten minutes — a moment he said left him close to tears when a crew member told him he had moved through to Stage Three.
Steele described the experience as reminiscent of auditioning for The X Factor — a comparison that carried some weight given that a previous appearance on the UK version of that programme had already put him in front of a judging panel. On this occasion, Taylor, Hearn, and Turner occupied that role, with a microphone attached.
Stepping onto a marked spot, Steele offered a personal introduction to the assembled panel. Taylor watched Steele release the dart and told him his throwing arm was up to the task — yet that assessment did not result in Steele being selected for the contest against Littler and the accompanying prize fund.
Steele said he had initially accepted the decision without objection, but upon learning which names had been chosen for the line-up — among them Fallon Sherrock, Mitchell Lawrie, Ashley Coleman, and Jayden Walker — he stated that his feelings shifted to a sense of anger and hurt.
Reaction from supporters and players who did not progress notwithstanding, those recognisable names on the entry list remain classified as amateurs under Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) rules, given that none of them currently holds a tour card — a status that also applies to several athletes carrying Target sponsorship.
Steele described the proceedings as having felt, in retrospect, like an outcome that had already been decided before the matter was heard. He expressed the view that he had been deceived.
