Fallon Sherrock’s victory at the Netflix event “Beat Luke Littler” sparked considerable debate. The English darts player defeated Luke Littler in a deciding leg and took home a staggering £501,000. Not everyone thought Sherrock should have been allowed to compete in the event, which initially seemed aimed mainly at amateur players. Former professional player and analyst Paul Nicholson has come firmly to her defence.

Sherrock was one of 24 contestants given the chance to take on the two-time world champion. The task was simple: anyone who could beat Littler in a single leg of 501 would win the huge prize. In the end, Sherrock struck with an excellent 15-dart leg to claim the second-largest prize in darts history. Only Littler himself has earned more, taking home £1 million for his second world title in January.

Sherrock’s participation was already a talking point before the event. The 32-year-old Englishwoman made history in 2019 as the first woman ever to win a match at the PDC World Darts Championship. Since then, she has become one of the sport’s best-known faces. Critics argued that a player with her experience and record did not fit an event meant to give amateurs a unique opportunity.

Nicholson understands why questions have been raised about the line-up, but believes the criticism of Sherrock herself is unfair.

Perfect result for Netflix

The former major winner believes Netflix could hardly have asked for a better winner. “Make no mistake it, Fallon Sherrock being the player to win the money was the perfect result for Netflix due to all the publicity it generated,” Nicholson told Sporting Life. "It also felt written in the stars when you consider that Fallon and Luke are the two players who have transcended popular culture more than anyone else in the past 10 years."

The way Sherrock sealed her victory particularly impressed the Australian. "So, for her to hit that 180 and then hold her nerve on tops after all the hype - both positive and negative - was almost poetic and typically Fallon."

Nicholson also suspects Netflix deliberately played on the debate surrounding her participation. Sherrock had to secure her place in the show through a public vote. "I thought Netflix were quite clever to put her in a public vote. It was almost like saying "Right, you don't want her to be here, then vote her off." Of course they probably knew that wouldn't happen so eventually they did indeed get the match they wanted after Littler beat all those before her."

The much-anticipated showdown eventually took place after Littler had beaten his earlier opponents. Nicholson has no doubt that Sherrock deserved the prize money. "So did she deserve the money? Yes."

Fallon Sherrock celebrated her victory with her young son Rory.

“People have a completely wrong idea of her financial situation”

Nicholson believes much of the criticism stems from a misunderstanding of the financial opportunities in darts. Sherrock is famous around the world and has even received an honour for her achievements, but that does not mean she is financially secure, he says.

"Sure she's got an MBE and has done incredible history-making things for darts. But if people think she lives a lavish lifestyle then they are solely mistaken. That money will change her life and the life of her son Rory. That's a great story."

Nicholson points out that Sherrock’s earnings cannot be compared with those of the sport’s elite. Littler’s huge earnings may lead outsiders to form a distorted view of the money in darts. "How much has she won in darts? Do people think that's millions? Do they think the patches on her shirt are worth millions? No, they're worth a few grand."

According to Nicholson, Sherrock still relies on several sources of income to support her career and personal life. "They're enough to keep her and her son going month by month, and she still has to work very hard in the exhibition circuit. She still plays amateur dart circuit events in places like Middlesbrough and Aylesbury."

That, the former professional believes, is what makes her victory so special. While some critics focus on her fame and experience, Nicholson sees someone who has been given a unique chance to secure her financial future.

"She's not a millionaire. This is the biggest pay cheque she's ever going to get. And it's the one chance she's got to change the life for her and her son. And that's the story that should be written, because most people have got this misconception of wealth in this sport because of Luke Littler. But on this occasion, he's the one who created the opportunity for others."

"A lot of us in the sport are chuffed"

Nicholson does not expect Sherrock’s victory to cause much jealousy among other players. He has known the Englishwoman for around ten years and has built a strong relationship with her during that time.

"A lot of us within the sport are chuffed. Because I know Fallon, I've known her for 10 years and she's a great person. She finds it hard to show her real emotions. It's one of the reasons why she's such a great player."

Nicholson says Sherrock changes completely once a match begins. He even has his own phrase for it. "I always say about Fallon, “glasses on, gloves off". Because when those glasses come on, her face changes."

That composure was on display in her deciding leg against Littler. Even so, Sherrock could not fully contain her emotions afterwards. She became visibly emotional while speaking to presenter Gary Lineker.

"However, she did struggle to hold back the tears with Gary Lineker at the end. It was a lovely moment and I think most of the people I've spoken to within the game, they're really, really happy for her, and so they should be."