Luke Littler breaks down in tears as he speaks about the tragic loss of a family friend in an emotional post-match interview after suffering a devastating defeat to Peter Wright in the final of the German Darts Championship

Luke Littler couldn’t hold back the tears after being beaten by Peter Wright in the final of the German Darts Championship on Sunday evening.

Littler, 17, appeared to be on course for victory after building a 5-2 lead heading into the eighth legs.

But Wright won six legs in a row to complete his remarkable 8-5 victory, leaving Littler visibly devastated after the defeat.

In his post-game interview on stage, an emotional Littler spoke about the recent loss of a family friend while being consoled by the commentator.

Littler said: “I have to say a big thank you to my friend Ellis. He lost his father. I've known him since I was three or four.”

Luke Littler burst into tears on Sunday as he announced the recent loss of a family friend

He later posted a photo on Instagram of himself with his friend Ellis (right), whose father recently passed away.

Littler was speaking after losing the final of the German Darts Championship to Peter Wright (pictured), who was also seen breaking down in tears earlier in the evening.

The teenage star then posted a photo of himself next to Ellis on Instagram, sending a message to his followers.

“I'm not looking for pity or anything, I just wanted to say that my best buddy lost his dad at such a young age. I've known Ellis since we were both three or four and I've been thinking about him all week. He's the strongest boy I know and he just couldn't do his job the way I would have liked,” he wrote.

Littler was not the only one who burst into tears that evening, as Wright also gave an emotional interview after his quarter-final victory over Michael van Gerwen.

The two-time world champion beat Van Gerwen to secure his place in the last four. Immediately after his victory, his name was chanted by the fans.

Wright greeted the crowd and wiped away tears with a towel as he vowed he was “on the way back” after a difficult year that saw him finish bottom of the Premier League table.

He managed to regain his composure to secure a place in the final against Littler and then staged a stunning comeback to win the second German Darts Championship title of his career.