Sacha Baron Cohen Claims That The Dictator Is Banned From The BBC

Sacha Baron Cohen’s character, The Dictator's General Aladeen, has been refused airtime from TV and radio at the BBC, it has been claimed.

The actor has been reported as accusing the broadcaster of humour failure. But could it just another publicity stunt?

“Our chat shows thrive on the spontaneous banter between guests and the presenter, something you don’t get when people come on as characters. We’d love to have Sacha on as himself,” a BBC spokesperson told The Sun.

General Aladeen is notorious for his controversial behaviour, drawing criticism from some and laughs from others. To name but a few:

• At this year’s Oscars Cohen spilt the ashes of Kim Jong-Il over and unsuspecting Ryan Seacreast
• In a recent trailer Aladeen joked about Prince Charles’ fictitious plans to kill his mother and ascend to the throne
• He arrived at Sydney airport wearing a full beard, Qantas pyjamas and gold shoulder pads, flanked by women wearing military uniform
• Below he appears on an Australian breakfast television show, leaving presenters dumbfounded