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UNDAUNTED, Ryan Meikle is determined to ELIMINATE Luke Littler from the World Darts Championship and celebrate his win with a stylish new haircut.
After achieving victory in the Crimpers Derby alongside fellow stylist Fallon Sherrock last Tuesday, the barber from Suffolk is preparing to face the young talent Littler on the winter solstice.
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At 28 years old, Meikle is not a professional darts player and has dedicated a decade to his work at Nicks Gent’s Hairdressing in the “quiet town” of Saxmundham, about 22 miles north of Ipswich.
Before his second-round matchup at Ally Pally, slated for prime-time television just ahead of the Fury-Usyk heavyweight boxing clash in Saudi Arabia, he preps for a critical moment in his career—where each throw will be watched by millions.
Having made the trip to North London on Friday evening, Meikle noted, “I’ve been busy working the last few weeks since the draw was made.
“I worked last Monday morning, and all my clients were like: ‘What are you doing here? You’re playing Fallon tomorrow?’
“I answered, ‘What else should I do? I’d just end up stressing over it.’ I perform well at my job and can make some money—it keeps my mind off the upcoming game.
“I also worked on Thursday and Friday; I didn’t want to take the whole week off with Christmas around the corner and the barbershop being so busy.
“Other players often joke with me: ‘Did you bring your clippers?’
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“Luke must have a skilled barber on speed dial, likely preparing for Saturday.”
The tournament’s favorite, Littler, 17, returns to Ally Pally for the first time since competing against world No.1 Luke Humphries in the world final 353 days ago.
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A year prior, while Littler was advancing to the final on his debut at just 16, Meikle was busy at his shop, experiencing “the most miserable Christmas ever” for not qualifying.
The odds are heavily favoring Littler—just days after being named runner-up for BBC Sports Personality of the Year—while Meikle aspires to perform well enough this week to earn a 2025 Tour Card.
If the East Anglian player manages a significant upset by eliminating the beloved TV star, he might receive an Alex Ferguson-style HAIRDRESSING treatment from PDC and Sky Sports executives!
Currently ranked No.62 worldwide, Meikle, who has a six-year-old son, has already earned £15,000, stating, “What Luke has done in darts is incredible. I genuinely can’t see any flaws in his game.
“His achievements at such a young age are remarkable, and I have nothing but admiration for him.
“People I never imagined discussing darts are now talking about it. I feel lucky to compete against him on Saturday.
“I’m a major fan of Luke and can’t give him enough praise. When people ask me: ‘Aren’t you fatigued listening to him?’ Absolutely not!
“The more attention he gets, the more sponsors come in, which hopefully boosts earnings for all of us.
“You couldn’t have hoped for a better pair in terms of social media – Luke and Fallon. I was everywhere.”
List of all-time Darts World Champions
BELOW is a list of Darts world champions by year.
The list does not include champions from the pre-Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) era or BDO champions.
Therefore, for example, Raymond van Barneveld is only listed once – having also won four BDO titles – while none of Eric Bristow’s five BDO titles appear.
- 1994 – Dennis Priestley
- 1995 – Phil Taylor
- 1996 – Phil Taylor (2)
- 1997 – Phil Taylor (3)
- 1998 – Phil Taylor (4)
- 1999 – Phil Taylor (5)
- 2000 – Phil Taylor (6)
- 2001 – Phil Taylor (7)
- 2002 – Phil Taylor (8)
- 2003 – John Part
- 2004 – Phil Taylor (9)
- 2005 – Phil Taylor (10)
- 2006 – Phil Taylor (11)
- 2007 – Raymond van Barneveld
- 2008 – John Part (2)
- 2009 – Phil Taylor (12)
- 2010 – Phil Taylor (13)
- 2011 – Adrian Lewis
- 2012 – Adrian Lewis (2)
- 2013 – Phil Taylor (14)
- 2014 – Michael van Gerwen
- 2015 – Gary Anderson
- 2016 – Gary Anderson (2)
- 2017 – Michael van Gerwen (2)
- 2018 – Rob Cross
- 2019 – Michael van Gerwen (3)
- 2020 – Peter Wright
- 2021 – Gerwyn Price
- 2022 – Peter Wright (2)
- 2023 – Michael Smith
- 2024 – Luke Humphries
Most World Titles
- 14 – Phil Taylor
- 3 – Michael van Gerwen
- 2 – John Part, Adrian Lewis, Gary Anderson, Peter Wright
- 1 – Dennis Priestley, Raymond van Barneveld, Rob Cross, Gerwyn Price, Michael Smith, Luke Humphries
“I’ve never experienced this level of media attention before! It’s not about my identity but rather about who I might be up against.
“I’m getting used to it, and I appreciate the chance. This exposure will certainly elevate my profile.”
Meikle, who boosted his confidence by defeating Gary Anderson in the first round of last month’s Players Championship Finals in Minehead, is not typically recognized for his fast play on the PDC circuit.
However, he dismisses assertions that he deliberately slows down to throw off opponents—it’s merely his style of play.
The amateur player expressed: “I don’t want to be labeled as a slow player; I understand that this discussion comes up often.
“I’m not trying to delay others or employ any strategies. My goal is just to perform at my best.
“I won’t claim to have a good shot on Saturday—realistically, I probably won’t.
“However, if I can show up and play my best while he’s not at his peak, there’s a chance. I just want to stick to my game and see how it unfolds.
“There’s no pressure on me. I enjoy being here; it gives me goosebumps every single time.
“There certainly is immense pressure on him from the media and TV coverage.
“I hope I can calm my nerves and perform at my highest level. The spotlight is heavily on Luke Littler in darts right now.”
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