‘That’s what we’re going with?’ – Darts referee left very unimpressed at nickname given by Polish Open announcer

New PDC referee Owen Binks was not entirely convinced by his new nickname after being dubbed “Jar Jar” for the first time.

The 27-year-old officiated his first match on Sunday at the Poland Masters, having previously overseen more than 6,000 games on the MODUS Super Series.

Now stepping onto a bigger stage — hopefully away from the dark side of the Force — tournament MC Philip Brzezinski had a surprise in store.

Referencing Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace character Jar Jar Binks, Brzezinski introduced fans to the newest official in memorable fashion.

“And crowd, can we please welcome on stage the next referee of the night — it’s Owen Jar Jar Binks.”

As the cameras cut to him, a bewildered Binks pulled a confused expression, smiling as he processed the unexpected nickname. After a brief shake of the head, he appeared to accept it — at least for now.

He was later seen chatting about it with Chris Dobey while preparing to oversee his match against Michael Smith.

The commentators also seemed unsure about the name sticking, joking: “Jar Jar… so that’s what we’re going with.”

Binks later posted online: “I REQUIRE A NEW NICKNAME.”

The comparison is a playful one — Jar Jar was first introduced to audiences in 1999 and is widely remembered as comic relief, though some fans still debate his hidden importance in the saga.

Now it is Binks stepping into a major role after replacing legendary caller George Noble, who retired following the World Darts Championship earlier this year.

Binks was visibly emotional when officiating his final match on the MODUS circuit last week, sharing a clip online with the caption: “Is someone cutting onions…” before adding: “6270 games complete.”

He had been the first referee on the MODUS circuit and received a handshake before that farewell match.

Reflecting on his promotion to the Professional Darts Corporation, Binks admitted the reality still hadn’t sunk in.

“The fact that I’m going to be calling the action on the main stage has literally always been a dream of mine,” he said. “Even hearing it still hasn’t quite sunk in. It will when I’m up there — that’s for sure. But yeah, it’s mad.”

Speaking about Noble’s support, he added: “He’d always say, ‘It’s coming, mate. Don’t worry.’ We sort of knew there were talks for a fair while.”

He also revealed the nerves that come with the step up.

“I’ve even got this thing in my head like, what if I suddenly forget how to count? All sorts of weird thoughts go through your head. I could turn up, it could go wrong, and I never ref again. There’s no contract. I’ve been given the opportunity and it’s down to me now.”

Binks has already built a strong online following and will now be hoping to keep players firmly under control on the sport’s biggest stages.

Meanwhile, Luke Littler recently thrashed Gian van Veen 7-1 to successfully defend his world title, becoming only the fourth player to retain the championship — following darts legends Phil Taylor, Adrian Lewis and Gary Anderson.