16-year-old Luke Littler had an uncomfortable encounter with darts icon Wayne Mardle during a review of his defeat to Luke Humphries in the PDC World Darts Championship.

A Shocking Debut

Littler surprised the world by making it to the final of the championship in his first appearance at the competition.

Despite initially leading 4-2, Littler ultimately lost the final to the current world No.1.

He shared his experience, saying, "The leg before to go on 2 2. I was just 10 points off. I was like 'What have I got? 4?'"

"I stopped, slowed everything down and I wired it. It's all I could have done.

"Then he wins the next three sets."

Mardle's Awkward Comment

However, Mardle interrupted and remarked, "It was actually the next five, but don't worry."

He quickly backtracked, saying, "I didn't mean that, that's terrible."

Viewer Backlash on Social Media

Viewers took to social media to express their disapproval of Mardle's comment.

One fan tweeted, "Mardle giving advice to darts players is like Tim Henman dishing it out to Djokovic."

Another user complained, "Wayne Mardle's being a bit of a k**b here, we all know the turning point for Luke Littler yesterday, today's probably not the time to bring it up."

A third person added, "Luke has more social sense than any of them. Pure disrespectful the way they talk to them just because he's 16."

Potential Earnings for Littler

Despite the defeat, Littler is estimated to have earned £300,000 in prize money from the championship.

Additionally, he is expected to secure lucrative brand deals and command fees of up to six figures, according to Neil Hopkins, strategy partner at MC Saatchi.

Humphries' Prediction

Luke Humphries, who defeated Littler in the final, has predicted that the young prodigy will dominate the sport and is already one of the "best in the world."

Background on Mardle

Mardle began his career as a darts player and reached the semi-finals of the world championship five times.

He transitioned to commentary in 2011 and previously lost in three major finals to Phil Taylor.