Ali G stuns Radio 1 listeners

Keith Poole12 April 2012

BBC Radio One was forced to apologise today after comedian Ali G swore during a live interview on the station's flagship breakfast show.

DJ Sara Cox was forced to end the interview abruptly after the spoof rapper said mother****** in front of millions of the show's predominantly school-age listeners.

It is the latest high-profile embarrassment caused by Ali G, aka comedian Sacha Baron-Cohen, following his profane outbursts at the MTV Music Awards last November.

Ali G was on the Sara Cox show alongside pop star Shaggy this morning, promoting their latest single, Mi Julie.

The interview was laden with innuendos referring to genitals, lesbian sex, the DJ's breasts and anal sex.

He would have infuriated disabled campaigners when he described Pop Idol's Gareth as "spasticated" and the show's winner Will a "batty boy," his well known definition of a homosexual.

The star pretended he was sharing a cannabis joint with Shaggy before comparing the sizes of their genitals.

However, the worst offence was caused when he was questioned about the words that were edited on the radio version of the new track.

He said: "We're also not allowed to say mother******" (filling in the blanks himself in the wrong place).

When Ali G realised his mistake Cox stepped in to apologise to listeners. She said: "I'm sorry if you've got the kids listening in the car. I'm really, very sorry."

A spokesman for the BBC said today: "It really was not something we would have liked to happen and we apologised on air straight away and Ali feels very sorry about it too. But it seems to have been a slip of the tongue. He got his 'blanks' the wrong way round."

The rest of the interview was typical Ali G. He was in character, but there was nothing in direct contravention of taste and decency guidelines.

"We have not had any complaints yet but obviously we will look at each one in detail as it comes in."

In November Ali G, who made his name with his own show which specialised in lampooning unsuspecting guests, courted controversy when he hosted the MTV Music Awards before a 13,000-strong Frankfurt audience.

His act included putdowns of celebrities including references to tennis star Boris Becker and a broom cupboard, calling Atomic Kitten "slappers" and innuendo about Kylie Minogue. All were present at the ceremony in Frankfurt.

The show was watched live by 139 countries but the German hosts took the precaution of having a five minute transmission delay to "bleep" out any four-letter outbursts.

There was not such a precaution in place this morning. Ali G starred in a Madonna video last year and the two seem to have more than that in common - they seem to favour the same expletive.

In December, she came under fire for swearing when she presented the Turner Prize.

The singer shocked viewers by using the word mother****** during the live broadcast, 15 minutes before the 9pm watershed.

Channel chiefs had been so nervous about what she might say that they asked for an advance copy of her speech.

She refused and they were poised to bleep out offensive words. But the bleeps were mistimed and the word went out clearly.

She later said the reason she swore was because they asked her not to. "Please don't tell me not to swear," she said. "So, of course, I did take that as an invitation and I did swear and felt much better afterwards."

George Michael's £3m home burgled
Welcome to Madonna's London
Shaggy at Wembley

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