Rob Beckett and Romesh Ranganathan are used to facing rowdy audiences, but none of them will compare to those at the PDC World Championships.

Rob & Romesh Vs Darts will see the pair take on the challenge of learning the beautiful game of darts at a point where it has become more popular than ever.

With the help of Luke ‘The Nuke’ Littler and a host of other faces, the duo will learn all about the game before stepping out on stage with the world’s best to see if they have what it takes to impress the 5,000 strong crowd.

Ahead of their game, here’s what the pair had to say about their latest special…

Rob: I've always loved darts. We always watched it at home over Christmas. I tailed off a bit over the years but since Littler has come in, I've got back into it. I played a bit when I was younger – you know, Around the World or whatever that was.

Romesh: I have been to the darts on a number of occasions, but I have to be honest, the actual darts were very much incidental to the experience. I respect the sport, although my behaviour at the events may suggest otherwise.

Rob: I’m looking forward to it if the fans are going to be cheering… but not if they’re booing and screaming “you’re s***”, which I imagine they will. I honestly don’t know what their reactions are going to be.

Romesh: Player walk-ons are great if you’re about to deliver something impressive. I’m s**t at darts, so a big walk-on seems to me like asking for trouble. I think it might be more appropriate to sneak in at the back and hand out letters of apology.

Romesh: It didn’t help my darts in the slightest and the audience left the show with the memory of me being absolutely dreadful as the last thing they saw. So, not ideal. Still better than an audience Q&A though.

Rob: People are awful. It’s brutal. But to be fair he did ask for it. And that’s the thing – in certain sports they’re allowed to shout at you – you can’t do that in tennis.

Rob: I think it's because anyone can do it really. Everyone’s thrown a dart. I mean, I f**king hate the horse dancing at the Olympics... I mean who gives a s**t? Yeah. It's just such a posh sport, where posh people have decided what's allowed to be in the Olympics. How are you going to go about getting a horse and the space for you to dance it about in?

Romesh: I think that anything that can be done in a pub in Britain will have some sort of following. There are no barriers to entry, so it feels inclusive. As long as you don’t mind wearing a hideous shirt, you can have a go. Like all the most addictive sports, it’s easy to have a go at, but very difficult to master.

Rob: No, completely disagree. It's so intense and amazing when you watch it. You're just completely engrossed. When the game is good you don't even drink. There's plenty of beer halls you could go to – if it were just for the party why wouldn’t you just go to Oktoberfest? And if you aren't sure, and you think you’re just going for a p**s up, by the end of it you'll fall in love with it as well. That's why it's growing so fast – it’s an amazing sport to watch.

Romesh: What Rob said, except for the fact that I have completely agreed with you in a previous answer.

You get to spend some time with Luke “The Nuke” Littler. What is the darts wunderkind like in person?

Rob: Just like the most normal kid you could ever imagine. Just a teenager that likes playing computer games. He couldn’t be more normal, and his family are lovely. And I think that's what is so alluring about him is that… I think Barry Hearne always says about him, he’s an ordinary person with extraordinary talent, and that's always the best way round.

Life’s full of extraordinary people with little talent who’ll tell you how great they are. But he’s absolutely amazing.

Rob: I quite like the physical stuff. I think you've gotta put yourself in the middle a little bit. I mean, the exertion will be when we get fking bullied by about 5,000 people at Alexandra Palace. When they're all screaming “You're a wr!” at us. That’ll be the hard bit. But if you just go round the world with your mate, people get the hump. So you’ve got to make it hard for yourself.

Romesh: The problem is, even though there is some relief that there is no physical exertion, there is still the prospect of a humiliation ritual. Every episode there is something either physically strenuous or mentally horrifying and I am convinced it is shortening our lives.

Rob: I think you just have to accept that as you get older you just have to go to the gym and do weights. You can't really do anything that's impactful on your body. I've had to calm down the five-a-side football, because you feel like doing exercise and running about, and you are, but if you've got another 14 stone dad flying into you off balance, absolutely crunching you to pieces, you’re injured for a week. So just going to the gym – that’s the way forward.

Romesh: I have nothing to wind down from – I am basically a sloth.

Rob: I think probably the Download festival one, that was pretty special. I just think it was perfect really. It's weird with the show - you do something everyone thinks is amazing, but then sometimes if they're a bit tight with the access and they don't let you get on then it sort of ruins it a bit. So it's always a bit of a lottery. Whereas that one, they let us have the run of the festival. We met all these big stars, we got to perform on the stage, and I like doing the challenges with Rom rather than against each other.

I know you sort of have to pretend for the show, but I think we've moved past that now, where I don't give a f*** if I beat him or not. But achieving something together is something I really enjoy and a challenge.

So for example, having to go out in front of those people and sing - which is really difficult for me, Romesh is a bit more comfortable with that kind of stuff - was a real, real achievement that we managed to help each other through. I prefer helping each other through stuff rather than going head-to-head.

Romesh: Totally agree – I think it’s more of a laugh when we work together, and the chemistry gets to shine a bit more.

Rob: I think the series started so long ago and I think traditional TV companies back then were like “You’ve got to make it a competition.” Well, actually it's not necessary if you're really funny and you're good friends.

It's actually nicer watching people take on something together. You can't fake it. I don't give a s*** if he’s better at stunts than me. But if we do it so we’re getting set on fire together, that's a challenge and to be able to do it with your mate – that’s such a great feeling.

Rob: Exactly. I mean obviously you can’t play darts together, so you need a competitive element. But I prefer the ones where we do something together.

Romesh: I prefer working together because Rob is unbearable when he gets a sniff that he could beat you, which to be fair to him has been every challenge we’ve done.

Rob: Bollywood’s always been up there. A lot of them depend on whatever opportunity comes up, really… I never really thought about doing heavy metal and that was a brilliant one.

I’d like to do more that explores things like health and spirituality and stuff. Rather than try to get really good at darts, do one where you look at improving as a person, or as a human.

Then me and Rom could go places like, where people do ice baths, people do silent retreats, people do ayahuasca… stuff to open your mind and improve your health.

Rob: Yeah, and see how we come out!

Romesh: I’ve done it so many times privately it seems mad not to do it for the show.

Rob: Nah I’ve got enough teeth in there!

Rob: Just time off with the kids, really. Doing nothing. Being boring. My life's quite busy and hectic so I literally won’t leave the house. Play with the kids. Do Lego. Watch telly. Eat. Drink. Take the dogs for a walk. Job done.

I don't really wanna see anyone. I don't really wanna socialise. I just wanna be left alone in a little cocoon. I’m like an oil rig worker. I work my nuts off. I come back. I do nothing.

Romesh: We’re going away to New York in the Christmas and New Year because my family don’t think Christmas is expensive enough as it is.

Like Rob, my main aim will be to hang out with the fam and otherwise do very little. Some days breathing will be the most I achieve.