The iconic characters Ali G and Borat, played by Sacha Baron Cohen, would face a ban from television if they were created today due to new broadcasting regulations, according to a top

executive. Sacha Baron Cohen gained fame with his character Ali G, a parody of a wannabe gangster, on Channel 4's The 11 O'Clock Show in 1998. The character was so well-received that he got his own show, Da Ali G Show, from 2000 to 2004, where he interviewed famous figures like Donald Trump and Tony Benn.

In Borat, Baron Cohen portrayed a reporter from Kazakhstan pranking unsuspecting Americans while exploring their culture. The character faced controversy for his antisemitic remarks, which the actor defended as a critique of racism.

However, the head of factual entertainment at Channel 4, Alf Lawrie, believes that these types of shows would not pass the current broadcasting regulations. He pointed out that TV has become more regulated over the past 20 years, making it challenging to hoodwink people on a large scale as done in the past. Broadcasting rules now demand more respect for contributors, and shows where participants are intentionally misled are prohibited.

The tightening of regulations by broadcast regulator Ofcom ensures that contributors' welfare is protected, and participants must be informed in advance about the nature of the program they are taking part in.

As TV satire evolves, Lawrie spoke ahead of the airing of the Channel 4 mockumentary, "Greg Wallace: The British Miracle Meat," addressing the fictional narrative of human flesh engineered for human consumption amid a cost-of-living crisis. Photo by Arniep, Wikimedia commons.