Luke Littler

[Derlei]

Ignoring the fact that he looks nowhere near 16 years old(!) but if he is 16, then why are the DM romanticising his relationship with a 21 year old woman?

www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/othersports/article-12917331/Luke-Littlers-girlfriend-posts-message-latest-victory.html

Totally thought the same OP!

He looks about 30. But yes, the age gap, particularly in that direction is a bit ick.

That’s pretty grim. Weirdly tho, the comments seem to be reasonable for the first time ever on the DM! Most of the top rated comments are basically saying how problematic this relationship age gap is.

Who cares?

It’s not that much of an age gap and he looks and acts older than he is. (He can’t be 16 surely.)

Not that I want to be seen as sticking up for the Daily Mail (I don’t), but I think they aren’t romanticising the relationship at all. I think that, by writing “innocently” about it, they are displaying it for the grim groom-show that it is.

Clever.

I wish he’d cut back on the kebabs - his potential cholesterol level terrifies me.

It’s completely innapropriate, unfortunately a lot of people in the public eye as children receive innapropriate sexual advances from adults. He certainly isn’t the first boy to have this, Finn Wolfhard had women in their twenties and thirties being sexually innapropriate when he was 15, Kit Connor had women posting on here what they would like to do to his childs body.

No 21 year old should ever be dating or hooking up with a 16 year old child. Sadly some people who think adults dating children is normal will attempt to justify it by saying he looks older, just as some men will justify assaulting children by saying she was wearing makeup or dressed older.

I’m 7 years older than my DH so when he was in Year 8 I was at uni. But I didn’t meet him until he was 28 so no one batted an eyelid.

He’s a very old 16 and she could be a very young 21.

All this reinforces my opinion that darts is a game and not a sport.

I doubt he is being exploited in any way. He is obviously a mature and clever lad.

YANBU, legal but ick.

It’s also crazy that people now use heavily filtered Snapchat pics as ‘genuine’ pics with no irony now.

I hope he doesn’t look ten years older than his ‘age’ forever.

Yabu in that the DM are not “romanticising” anything- she’s his girlfriend. I’m not sure how close to 17 he is or she to 21 is they could be more like 4 than 5 years apart and I wonder if they actually met at darts. To be fair on her she’d have hardly thought she was chatting up a 16 year old - he looks 27!

I don’t understand what you mean by ‘particularly in that direction’? Are you saying that it’s more acceptable for a 21 year old man to date a 16 year old girl? Why?

Would it be the same if he was 21 and she was 16 ? Most DM comments might be more of the ' get in' type comments ( which I know is grim)
A few of my friends have young teens ( 15 , 16) and they all have girl friends and boyfriends, but ones the same age as them.
Maybe his just very mature for 16 , looks a bit older and she isn't bothered about the age gap, but it does seem a bit off.

Mumsnet would be up in arms f it was a 16 year old girl.and 21_year-old man

@MyTattooIsBetterThanYours - there's a 7 year difference between my DH and me and we also met when I was 28. I think that's totally different though to a 16 and 21 year old. The power differential, the difference in life experience. 16 maybe over the age of consent but is still legally a child.

My just turned 17 year old ( his birthday wss boxing day)
Looks a lot older too he has a full beard
Hairy chest etc
But he ,s still only 17
Just because someone looks older doesn't mean they are emotionally older

That's completely different as you were both adults 🙄

I believe that Luke turns 17 on 21st Jan.

He's clearly very mature for his age, and I don't mean the way he looks. He's performing at an amazing level at the most prestigious darts tournament; players three times his age crumble under that kind of pressure. I can't think of any other sport where the spectators are wearing fancy dress and screaming/singing while you're trying to concentrate.

When I was his age (I'm old, so this was last century) I can't think of a single friend whose boyfriend wasn't at least 4 years older. At 16 we could get into nightclubs easily, whereas boys our own age could not. I can't recall a single parent raising concerns.

Luke's got his close family around him; I'm sure they know them both better than anyone and will voice any concerns.

Perhaps again it's my age, but regardless of which sex is older, I can't see an issue if they meet when they are both over the legal age of consent.

Good luck to Luke!

I agree it's a massive gap at that age and I just honestly cant see what a 21 year old women and a 16 year old lad would have in common, they are two totally different stages of life.

@MyTattooIsBetterThanYours He’s a very old 16 and she could be a very young 21.
All this reinforces my opinion that darts is a game and not a sport.
How do you get from a 5-year age gap to darts not being a sport?
I mean, I agree, it is not a sport, but that's an amazing illogical leap!

Yep, an adult choosing to date a child who is just on the right side of legal is innapropriate, unfortunately there will always be adults like this woman who target children. Scary that people think he is mature, when in reality he is a child, they’re incapable of being mature.

I'm not sure the power will be all on her side with the money he's going to win.