Comedian Sacha Baron Cohen brings back iconic character Ali G

Sacha Baron Cohen has defended bringing back his controversial alter ego Ali G amid calls for a boycott.

Sacha Baron Cohen has revived his satirical persona Ali G for a new film scheduled to hit cinemas this week, more than two decades after the character first debuted on the big screen. The comeback has provoked debate over whether the late-1990s parody translates to modern audiences, with some detractors demanding a boycott. Baron Cohen acknowledged that the portrayal is problematic but defended the revival as essential satire.

• The defenceBaron Cohen acknowledged the character is controversial but explained that challenging sensibilities was his main motivation for reviving him.
• The pushbackActivists and cultural commentators have urged cinema audiences to boycott the upcoming release.
• The historyThe fictional Staines figure first gained prominence in the late 1990s before headlining the feature film Ali G Indahouse in 2002.

What's new · 5h agoBaron Cohen publicly defended resurrecting the character despite acknowledging he is problematic, as critics launched calls for a cinema boycott ahead of the release.