Emma Paton responds to Gary Anderson and James Wade after Luke Littler claims

Emma Paton responds to Gary Anderson and James Wade after Luke Littler complaints

Sky Sports presenter Emma Paton has hit back at Gary Anderson and James Wade's comments about Luke Littler

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Emma Paton has come to the defence of the media's portrayal of Luke Littler amid criticisms from Gary Anderson and James Wade. The seasoned duo have criticised what they see as insufficient recognition for world champion and world number one Luke Humphries, who has been a dominant force in darts for the past 18 months.

Despite being impressed by the young prodigy, Anderson and Wade argue that the attention on Littler has overshadowed Humphries' achievements, leading to a lack of due respect. However, Sky Sports darts presenter Paton disagrees with this perspective.

Speaking to the Mirror, she said: "Yeah, I do [think Humphries has had enough credit]. And I think he'll be happy with it too. I can only talk for our Sky coverage."

She added, "He's been a fantastic world champion, and if you speak to people, it's 50/50 [between the Lukes] over who their favourite is for the World Championship."

Paton continued, "I don't think there's any question marks over his year. For large periods, he's [Humphries] been the best player on the planet. I would say he's been the most consistent and most reliable. I think we talk about him at length," reports the Mirror.

Paton maintains that Littler's extraordinary ascent in the sport cannot be overlooked, especially considering his influence on darts, which includes record-breaking viewership figures on Sky and attracting a broader audience.

"I think for some people, the Littler stuff gets a bit convoluted. We're talking about an incredible sporting story," she commented. "If we go back 12 months ago, Luke Littler was ranked 164th in the world and had barely played on a big TV stage. Then, at 16, he goes and makes the World Championship final. I know he didn't win it, but 12 months on, he's up to fourth in the world.

"I can't think of a comparison in another sport about how ridiculous it is. We talk about the big titles, the Premier League, World Series Finals, and the Grand Slam, but there are other titles as well, such as the Pro Tour and the Euro Tour.

"It's really hard to put into context that achievement. We're talking about it because it's an incredible sporting story. It's one that you don't see often, maybe ever. Also, for me, we're talking about it because of his impact on the sport. He's taken the sport to places it's never been to before. That interest from last year's Worlds hasn't dwindled.

"I think what Gary Anderson and James Wade were getting confused about was that we are talking about this story in the context of sport and what that means."

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