Hopeful amateur darts players get their final chance to earn a dream showdown with Luke Littler when regional heats for a new Netflix show finish in Manchester this weekend.
Last week saw thousands of wannabe champions head to London on a quest to ‘Beat Luke Littler’ in a one-off leg of 501, with a £501,000 jackpot on the line.
Hosted by Gary Lineker, the show filmed at the Manchester Central Convention Complex will be streamed on Netflix on October 30.
Hopefuls entering Saturday’s heat in Manchester include players travelling from Australia and India and they must go through a rigorous three-stage qualification process, which involves getting the seal of approval from 16-time world champion Phil Taylor.
They must first check out 501 in 24 darts or less before the reality television aspect of the competition comes in, as successful players will be interviewed by the show’s production team.
The final stage then requires them to impress a PDC judging panel consisting of Taylor, PDC supremo Barry Hearn and Sky Sports pundit Laura Turner, who will assess players’ darting prowess and ultimately decide whether applicants have the ability to give Littler a realistic challenge.
Only 20 successful candidates will make it through to the live show at the end of October and the chance to win a life-changing prize.
Taylor said: “We saw a huge amount of talent in London last week and I’m expecting a similar level of quality in Manchester this weekend.
“The opportunity to face Luke and play for £501,000 is a massive motivation and is clearly bringing the best out in people.
“There is no doubt Luke will have to bring his best darts or one of these amateurs could be celebrating the victory of a lifetime.”
