Littler to follow in the footsteps of legends after landing major TV role

'You can't beat a bit of Bully'

The World Championship runner-up will throw darts for charity on the revived quiz show when it returns for a Christmas special.

Former England cricketer Freddie Flintoff was announced as the presenter of a reboot of the ITV game show Bullseye.

The Field of Dreams star will front the darts-themed quiz show, that last aired almost three decades ago, for a Christmas special.

The show was originally presented by the late comedian Jim Bowen from 1981 to 1995.

Littler was said to be the inspiration behind TV bosses choosing to revive the programme as excitement surrounding the then 16-year-old’s surge to the World Championship final brought a whole new audience to the sport.

The dartboard quiz game tested contestants’ darts skills as well as their general knowledge.

Three pairs of contestants, consisting of an amateur darts player and quizzer competed for cash and prizes, walking away with cars, caravans and holidays.

On the original series, professional darters were regular guests where they tried to score as many points as possible to bag money for a charity chosen by the contestants.

Reruns of the original show are still shown on Challenge who tried to do a remake of their own back in 2006 with Dave Spikey at the helm but it failed to gain popularity and was cut after two series.

A TV insider told The Sun: “Luke wasn’t even born when Bullseye was on our screens with original host, Jim Bowen. But Luke knows this is a plum role to have landed.

“As he steps up to the Bullseye oche he knows he’s following in the footsteps of legends including Eric Bristow and Jocky Wilson who all threw darts on the programme in its 1980s heyday.

"It’s also a coup for the makers of the new Bullseye as Luke is now one of Britain’s best-known players.

“Producers moved swiftly to sign him shortly after the programme was recommissioned by ITV.

“It all adds to the huge sense of excitement for the programme to return.” 

Speaking of the quiz show’s return, Freddie Flintoff said: “I love the darts and Bullseye was one of my favourite shows as a kid. I can’t quite believe I’ll get to host this Christmas special.”

Echoing Bowen’s famous catchphrase, Flintoff added: “You can’t beat a bit of Bully.”

Flintoff returned to our TV screens over the summer for Freddie Flintoff’s Field Of Dreams On Tour, it was the first time he’d spoken about the devastating crash he suffered while filming Top Gear.

The crash, which left Flintoff with facial and rib injuries, happened at the motoring show’s test track at Dunsfold Aerodrome in Surrey, in December 2022.

Returning to our screens he admitted that it had been ‘a lot harder than I thought’ to get over the crash as he’d been left with anxiety, nightmares and flashbacks.

Flintoff has since joined England’s backroom staff for their T20 series against West Indies earlier this year and was head coach of the Northern Superchargers in The Hundred.

It was rumoured that ITV had also approached fellow Top Gear presenter Paddy McGuinness to front the show but Flintoff is the lucky man who has got the gig.