Lavey man dreaming of £501,000 Netflix darts jackpot

By Niall Keenan

A Facebook advert, a decision to give it a go, and an audition that came down to a single dart have given Pearse Mackle the opportunity of a lifetime.

The 21-year-old from Lavey, is one of just 24 contestants selected from thousands of applicants to take part in Netflix’s live darts special, ‘Beat Luke Littler’, with £501,000 on the line if he can defeat the world number one.

The show takes place at Manchester Central on Friday, October 30, with the action beginning at 7pm. Mackle is chomping at the bit for the opportunity to take on one of the biggest names in the sport.

His journey began in August, when an advert appeared on Facebook, offering amateur players the chance to face 'the nuke' in a single leg of 501.

“I was just scrolling and that first advertisement came up from Netflix,” he told The Celt. “Everyone was sharing it and I was just thinking about it for a couple of days, and I said sure I may as well, I’ve nothing to lose.

“I fancy myself if I did get a chance- I didn’t expect to.

What followed was a lengthy selection process at the Manchester venue that took Mackle from an online application to a series of auditions in Manchester, where he had to demonstrate his ability at the oche and impress some of the biggest names in darts.

The first hurdle was to complete a leg of 501 in 24 darts or fewer. Mackle managed it in 23, leaving little room for error as he edged through to the next stage.

“I just went over and did the whole process. Basically, you had to do a leg of darts in 24 darts or less to get to stage two – I did it in 23, which was very close,” he laughed.

After an interview with members of the production team, he was invited back for a final conversation with three figures from the sport: 16-time world champion Phil Taylor, renowned promoter Barry Hearn and Sky Sports darts commentator and player Laura Turner.

Mackle had to wait a couple of weeks to discover whether he had made the final cut.

When the 24 names were announced last Thursday, he was among those selected, and the news quickly spread among family, friends and the wider community.

“I got the announcement last Thursday when it came out and my phone has just been going mad since,” he said.

Mackle is one of only two contestants from Ireland to make the line-up, giving Cavan and the wider country another reason to get behind him ahead of Friday’s show.

A third-year Global Commerce student at the University of Galway, Mackle is currently completing a placement in the university’s expenses office. He is due to spend the second semester studying abroad in Prague in the New Year as part of his course.

Darts, however, has been a constant throughout his life. Having grown up in Lavey, he had little interest in Gaelic games and instead found his sporting outlet at the dartboard.

He represented Ireland at the age of 14 at an event in Gibraltar in 2019 and has continued to compete while balancing his education.

Mackle plays in a league in Galway on Tuesday nights and represents McMahon’s Bar of Cavan Town on Fridays. He has also experienced the demands of the PDC Development Tour, although university commitments have made it difficult to compete regularly.

“Last year I played ten events but didn’t get a single win. I got knocked out in the first round every time,” he said.

“I went to the first event this year and got to the last 16 of that one just out of nowhere.

“I haven’t been since; college has been my priority. I’ve had exams whenever the events have been on.”

The opportunity to face Littler would be a significant step up in profile and pressure. Mackle has previously played former world champion Luke Humphries at an exhibition event, but that encounter offered little encouragement when it came to the result.

In typical fashion Humphries produced a 12-dart leg to win, leaving the Cavan man without a 'look in'.

Friday’s format presents a different kind of challenge. Each contestant has one chance in a leg of 501, with the competition ending if somebody manages to defeat Littler.

Mackle does not know when he will be called upon, meaning there is a possibility somebody else could take the opportunity before he gets his own shot.

While he would naturally love to be the one to topple the darting sensation, he is also conscious of what he has already achieved simply by making the final 24.

“I don’t know what to expect. Someone could beat him before I even get playing, but if I do get the chance and I do beat him, the money is all mine, which would be mad,” he said.

“I really do want a shot at him. I’m obviously glad I’ve gotten this far, you know. I wouldn’t be overly disappointed if I didn’t get a shot because at least, I was there and I took every chance I got, so I’m happy enough.

“I’m buzzing – it can only be good.”

The £501,000 prize would be life-changing, but Mackle is keen to finish his studies before making any major decisions about his future.

He would like to give the Development Tour a proper go, although the costs involved in travelling to events and competing without sponsorship remain significant obstacles.

“If I did win the money, that would be handy funding it,” he said.

For now, his attention is firmly on Manchester and the possibility of stepping onto the stage in front of a live Netflix audience.

He has already beaten thousands of applicants to earn his place. If he gets his chance against Littler, one good leg could turn an unexpected opportunity into a remarkable sporting story.

And for the young man who applied because he had nothing to lose, the biggest moment of his darts career is now just days away.