Ali G Returns in New Film, Answers Critics: 'Me Ain't the First Intellectual to Get Haterz'

Ali G is back. The Staines-born character, created by Sacha Baron Cohen, has granted one interview for his new film — and he used it to answer his critics directly: "Me ain't the first intellectual to get haterz."

The interview, published by the Guardian on 18 October 2026, covers the character's return after two decades away from screens. Ali G first nailed the zeitgeist of the late 1990s and early 2000s. The new conversation addresses three things: the backlash against his return, his worst-ever interviewee, and — in his words — how he plans to prevent world war two.

Where did the interview take place?

At Ali's request, the meeting happened in an independent chicken shop in Staines. The reason was a mix-up: Ali believed the one interview he had agreed to for the new film was an episode of Chicken Shop Date, the web series hosted by Amelia Dimoldenberg. He rated that prospect as "90% likely to lead to boning."

He then offered the Guardian journalist an unprintable recollection about the first time he and "me Julie" had sex, in the disabled toilets of the Egham KFC.

How does Ali G handle the press?

With conditions. His opening request to the reporter was blunt: "Can you tell people that you're from Hustler? Or The Source. Or Guns & Ammo. Speaking to a Guardian journalist ain't a good look for me in the hood."

The exchange sets the terms of the comeback. A character built on antagonizing interviewees two decades ago now negotiates his own coverage with the same logic — brand management, as imagined from Staines.

What does the return mean for 2026?

The Guardian frames the central question plainly: Ali G captured the mood of the late 90s and early 00s, but how does he fit into 2026? The full interview, published 18 October 2026, addresses that question alongside the criticism his return has drawn.

The comeback arrives through a new film, with this single agreed interview serving as its media anchor. Whether the character's satire lands with a 2026 audience — or draws more "haterz" — is the test Baron Cohen's creation now faces.

By Elena Vasquez