Ed Sheeran has responded warmly after being mocked in the trailer for Sacha Baron Cohen’s new Ali G film, describing the reference as an honour. Ali G: Who Iz I? marks the character’s return to cinemas after 24 years and matters as Cohen revisits a defining but now more controversial piece of British comedy.

Due for release on 23 October through Amazon MGM, the film is presented as a documentary using real interviews with unsuspecting public figures. Cohen directs a feature for the first time, while the plot sees Ali G discover that his girlfriend, played by Morgana Robinson, is pregnant; however, the trailer has prompted UK criticism and boycott calls over styling viewed as an outdated racial caricature.