Ali G's new film has to be blurred under child protection services law
Ali G's new film hits cinemas today but viewers will miss out on some of the original footage after a controversial scene was cut.
Sacha Baron Cohen's beloved 90s character, who was once known for interviewing some of the biggest celebrities on the planet, has made his return in the new release Ali G: Who Iz I?
After the character made a surprise return earlier this year at Wimbledon, to advertise the hip-hop journalist's return to the screen, it quickly became clear that not everybody was in love with the idea of him coming back.
And before the film was even released, there was significant backlash aimed at it, with tens of thousands of people backing a boycott of the sequel to the 2002 comedy Ali G Indahouse.
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Those numbers may only increase with the recently confirmed news from the British Board of Film Classification, which confirmed that it would be rated as a 15, while one of the more shocking scenes in the film has been blurred by the organisation, constituting a cut.
It states on its website: "A cut was made in accordance with BBFC Guidelines, policy, and the Protection of Children Act 1978."
The act makes it illegal to possess, exhibit or otherwise distribute any photograph which comprises an indecent image of a child, and the BBFC confirmed to LADbible that it had identified one image within the film that was potentially vulnerable to prosecution under the Act.
The synopsis for Ali G: Who Iz I? explains: "After 20 years spent chillin’, tokin’ and bonin’, Ali G is shocked to discover that his long-term girlfriend, Julie (Morgana Robinson), is eight months pregnant.
"Faced with an extra mouth to feed, he gets off his batty and heads to America to reclaim his former glory…but soon encounters adversaries who will ultimately threaten his and his child’s very existence."
Although he was once a popular character, his jokes are often deemed to be racist, misogynistic and xenophobic, which is perhaps why British news comparison site NewsCord called on cinemas to 'refuse' to show the film.
NewsCord's campaign states: "Sacha Baron Cohen retired Ali G. Amazon revived the caricature. Cinemas can refuse it."
It continues: "Ali G: Who Iz I? opens on 23 October 2026. Black British comedians called the character 'an alibi for racism' in 2000; Jeanette Winterson asked what separates it from the Black and White Minstrels; Kazakh and Arab organisations documented the harm of the catalogue behind it. Sony Pictures UK is selling it with the line 'He iz back. We ain't liable'.
"The screens belong to the chains, and a booking is a choice. One chain has already made it: Picturehouse says it is not planning to screen the film, so letters no longer go to Picturehouse."
For those of you who are still planning to see the 2026 iteration of Ali G, well now you know why you might end up seeing something blurred.
Topics: Sacha Baron Cohen, Cinema, Entertainment
James Moorhouse