"Baffling that they brought it back": Matt Walsh reacts as Sacha Baron Cohen appears as Ali G, claims it's "hard to imagine a less relevant character"

Aastha Dass Fri, October 16, 2026 at 8:26 AM UTC

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Matt Walsh speaks on stage during The Daily Wire Presents Backstage Live at Ryman Auditorium on August 14, 2024 in Nashville, Tennessee. ©Getty

Conservative political commentator Matt Walsh has criticized Sacha Baron Cohen’s appearance as Ali G, claiming it's “hard to imagine a less relevant character.”

On October 15, 2026, Matt Walsh posted on X (formerly Twitter) in response to TMZ’s coverage of the 55-year-old British comedian’s appearance in the character at the world premiere of the new film Ali G: Who Iz I?: He wrote:

“This is a parody of a specific type of guy who existed in London like 25 years ago. It’s hard to imagine a less relevant character in the current year. Baffling that they brought it back.”

Ali G is a fictional character played by Cohen, who is a suburban white British male from Staines-upon-Thames who pretends to be a hip-hop journalist and a “chav.” He first appeared on the British television series The 11 O'Clock Show in 1998. This was followed by his hit series, Da Ali G Show.

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Matt Walsh calls out Sacha Baron Cohen’s appearance as Ali G

Matt Walsh has criticized Sacha Baron Cohen’s appearance as Ali G at the Los Angeles premiere of Ali G: Who Iz I? on October 14, 2026.

Cohen was dressed in Ali G’s trademark outfit featuring a bright yellow tracksuit, puffer jacket, a yellow hoodie, matching pants, and sunglasses. The film is scheduled to release in theatres on October 23, 2026.

In addition to Cohen, the film also stars Morgana Robinson. The plot of the film revolves around the character Ali G, who discovers his long-term girlfriend Julie is eight months pregnant and travels to America to make money.

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According to a report in The Hollywood Reporter, Sacha Baron Cohen’s “Ali G” character has been slammed as a racist caricature. Others labeled Cohen’s idea of bringing back his character “outdated.” Joining the bandwagon was Matt Walsh himself.

In his X post, he called the character a parody of a specific type of guy from London about 25 years ago that is now irrelevant. He noted that it was baffling to have his character brought back, stating that Cohen is around 55. In another tweet, he wrote:

“I mean you could do a comedy where the joke is that the guy is retro and out of place like Austin Powers. But that only works if he represents an iconic type that we’re all familiar with. This is such a specific and narrow type that it just doesn’t work. Plus Cohen is like 55.”

Sacha Baron Cohen arrives at the World Premiere of Amazon MGM Studios' "Ali G: Who Iz I?" at Hollywood Legion Theater on October 14, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. - Source: Getty

Walsh’s reaction to Sacha Baron Cohen’s idea of reliving his “Ali G” character in the upcoming film drew mixed opinions. While many users praised Walsh’s ability to draw reactions from Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) figures, others argued that Walsh lacked Cohen’s theatrical style and skills.

A user wrote on X:

"Austin Powers wasn't an iconic type we're all familiar with any more than Ali G though. Austin Powers had a make believe world of villains and Dr Evil. That theme carried Austin."

Another commented:

"Matt, your take on US culture is usually correct. Maybe best to leave the British stuff to people who know more. Ali G isn't funny in 2026 but it's not because that archetype doesn't exist. Quite the opposite."

Critics and audiences have also compared Walsh and Cohen’s films, Walsh’s 2024 satirical documentary Am I Racist? and Cohen’s comeback movie Ali G: Who Iz I?.

Sacha Baron Cohen has faced online criticism for the use of controversial characters such as Borat, Ali G, and Brüno. Critics argue that these characters trade in anti-Muslim, anti-Semitic, racist, or homophobic tropes.

Original Article on Source

Source: “AOL Entertainment”