World Darts Championship 2026: Luke Humphries Pinpoints Paul Lim Defeat as the Moment That Transformed His Career

Former world champion Luke Humphries has pinpointed a shock World Championship defeat to Paul Lim as the moment that transformed both his life and his darts career.

Cool Hand Luke progressed from his first-round clash with Ted Evetts to book a mouth-watering showdown with the 71-year-old icon at the 2026 World Darts Championship, five years on from the match that altered his trajectory.

The former world number one and 2024 Ally Pally champion is keen to avoid a repeat of what happened back at the 2021 edition, when he was stunned by Lim in the opening round of the tournament.

A Christmas Exit That Sparked Reflection

That loss, suffered just before Christmas in 2020, sent Humphries packing from Alexandra Palace earlier than expected.

But what felt like devastation at the time soon became a turning point.

Asked whether he looked at himself differently over the festive period and realised something had to change, Humphries admitted the defeat hit hard.

"That night I was really disheartened; I was feeling that I wasn't good enough anymore and let's give up. That's what a typical young lad would do. Let's give it up. I'm not good enough."

"But I didn’t. I made changes and I'm glad I did because if it didn't work out at least I would've done everything I could to be the best version of myself and for me the changes that needed to be made."

"I thought it was going to make me a better player and by God it did. So that was a blessing disguise to myself.”

‘I Think I Won That Night’

Humphries, who received his royal MBE prior to the tournament,  insists he doesn’t view the match as something he needs revenge for. Instead, he believes Lim unknowingly gave him the jolt he needed.

"I think I won that night to be honest. It gives you a little bit of a kick up the backside sometimes you do need that in life, sometimes a loss like that in any sport can help someone. I feel like it did."

"It made me realise that I wasn't at the perfect level that I knew I could have been at."

"So, I obviously lost the weight. The two sets I was up, I started to get a little bit jaded, a little bit tired and it cost me and you just learn from their experiences.”

“I just never looked back from that moment.”

Losing Four Stone, Gaining Confidence

Humphries’ transformation wasn’t just about improving his darts.

He admits he was unhappy physically and mentally, which ultimately led to him losing four stone and reinventing himself as a multiple-time major champion.

“I didn’t like the way I looked. I didn't like the way I felt, didn't like the way I was feeling tired all the time to be honest. And you do when you're overweight, you feel tired a lot."

"There's a lot of things I didn't like about myself, and I changed it or put it right and it kind of gave me more confidence in myself. Not just as a player but as a person as well. And I think that's what definitely helped me become the player today.”

The longevity of Lim only adds further context to the story, with Humphries’ father even being ten years younger than the Singaporean, underlining just how remarkable his continued presence on the sport’s biggest stage remains.

Expecting a Hostile Ally Pally Atmosphere

Looking ahead to their latest meeting, Humphries knows he faces a tough night at Alexandra Palace, both on the board and in the stands.

He is fully aware the crowd will be firmly behind the fans’ favourite and that the atmosphere could become hostile, but insists the key will be applying pressure where it matters.

"I've got to put him under pressure every single set when I play him and I'm looking forward to the test. I know the crowd's going to be against me, but I've experienced it many times in my career.”

"It's up to me to get there, perform at the level that I know I can. And if I don't then it's playing in fault."