LUKE LITTLER has been hilariously compared to an iconic Catherine Tate character after his bizarre World Championship outburst.
The teenage thrower defeated Rob Cross in a hard-fought round of 16 match at Ally Pally.
But he caught the world of darts off guard in his post-match interview when he fired a snarky jab at the hostile crowd, who had booed him throughout the contest.
When asked about his reaction to the hostile atmosphere after his match, he told Sky Sports’ Polly James: “I’m not bothered, really I’m not bothered, really not bothered, ha ha ha.
“Can I just say one thing? You guys pay for tickets, then you’re paying for my prize money, so thank you.
“Thank you for my money, thank you for booing me. Thank you. Come on!”
The outburst reminded fans of Tate’s famous character Lauren Cooper and her catchphrase “Am I bovvered?” from the comedian’s sketch show ‘The Catherine Tate Show’.
Some fans took to social media to highlight the similarities, posting images and videos of the sketches alongside mentions of Littler.
Turning his attention back to the result, Littler then reflected on what was a difficult game, but a fairly comfortable finish.
He said: “I just had to hold and then Rob broke me, I had to break Rob back, I just had to hold my own.
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“As soon as Rob set up 342, then I hit the 180 to leave the 164, I knew if Rob hit a 180 he’s on 162, so then I know I’m guaranteed six darts at it.
“Then he left 198 at the end or something so I just knew I’ve got at least another six at 68, so not much pressure.”
Both throwers were at the top of their game, especially in a tight last set in which Littler averaged almost 117, compared to Cross’ 110.
Littler continued: “I’ve just seen the stats then, I wasn’t even thinking of anything, I just wanted to win the game.
“Like you say, it’s hostile, no-one wanted me to win, but yet again I proved them wrong.”
The defending champion, who broke a Darts World Championship record during the match, then turned his attention to the future.
He has a short break now, but will be back in action on New Year’s Day in the quarter-finals.
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When asked if he was feeling more confident now that a repeat is almost within reach, he added: “It’s not in reach just yet, you’ve got to get to the final, then obviously, Krzysztof Ratajski or Luke Woodhouse next.
“I’ll enjoy two days off and then I’ll be back here New Year’s Day.
“It’s just the same as the past two years. The past two years I’ve spent New Year’s Eve, New Year’s Day in London.
“So yeah, we’re doing it again and we’re through to the quarter-finals for the third time in a row.”
