Luke Humphries can take another step towards defending his World Championship title today as he takes on Wales' Nick Kenny in the last 32 of the competition.

The 29-year-old triumphed at Alexandra Palace a year ago, beating teenage sensation and namesake Luke Littler in a thrilling final. That win came during a prolific run of form, having won his first major at the 2023 World Grand Prix and added the Grand Slam and the Players Championships Finals to his collection before taking the world title.

In the 12 months that have followed after beating Littler, Humphries has also won the World Matchplay title and lifted the World Cup for England alongside Michael Smith, as well as retaining his Players Championship Finals title.

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As he prepares to continue his title defence - and set up another potential meeting with Littler later in the tournament - here's everything you need to know about the man they call 'Cool Hand' Luke.

Stunning net worth

Humphries' incredible recent success has seen him bank a huge amount of prize money, with the figure from the last two years alone sitting at around £1.8 million.

In total, his career prize money stands at almost £3 million, according to the PDPA

That amount includes the huge £500,000 payday he received for winning last year's World Championship, as well as the £120,000 he cashed in by winning his first major title at the 2023 World Grand Prix, when he defeated favourite Gerwyn Price.

The huge amount of prize money he has won, together with his rising public profile, means he has a net worth estimated to be in the region of £2.5 million.

Body transformation

Humphries' prolific run of title-winning form came shortly after he transformed his body by losing almost five stone.

A new diet fitness regime over the course of the pandemic saw the darts star shed the pounds and get fitter, with his upturn in form encouraging many of his rvials to also adopt healthier lifestyles.

Speaking ahead of the World Championships, Humphries said: “I did the exercise bike for about half-an-hour a day and then it was just eating clean and healthily while still practising. I felt better in myself but I didn’t feel any different with my throw. Everything felt the same.

“A lot of players have lost a lot of weight and it’s impacted them negatively, performance-wise. Maybe that’s done through losing too much weight and not practising through it.”

Fiancee and family life

Humphries got engaged to his long-term girlfriend Kayley in New York City earlier this year, surprising her with a ring as he popped the question at the Edge observation deck.

Sharing a photo of the proposal on Instagram, he wrote: "A moment that I’ve been waiting to do for some time now... just wanted to wait until that perfect moment! Today was that time. Up the Edge in New York all by ourselves I popped the question, proud to say Kayley said yes!"

Humphries and 30-year-old Kayley live together in Crewe and share a son, Rowan Ellis, together. The darts star has credited her with being his 'rock', having given up a lot to make sure he was properly rested going into tournaments.

"Credit to my girlfriend," he said earlier this year. "She could easily have me up at 6am, looking after my son who wakes up at that time. But she allows me to sleep in.

"She understands the importance of rest. If she wanted me to get up at those times, I’d do it. But she’s the most supportive woman in the world towards me. I give a lot of credit to her. She allows me to come home from darts and have that rest time I need. Whereas a normal dad may get up at 6am for the kids.

"I got home from the UK Open in Minehead at 4am. My week would have been ruined. All the credit to her for allowing me to have that relaxed time. She works incredibly hard at home, I work incredibly hard at darts," he added.

"Your home life is really, really tough, especially when you’re away a lot. But I love spending time with my family. She allows me to sleep in. I know it sounds crazy but that extra rest I really do need is what I get from my girlfriend.

"Mentally I’m in the best place possible since the worlds. I feel like I have achieved everything I ever wanted. But you have to work harder and harder. You go to your family and you realise that there’s more to life than darts. I will make sure I take the breaks that I need throughout the year."