Censor Watch

Ali G: Who Iz I? is a 2026 UK/US comedy by Sacha Baron Cohen
Starring Sacha Baron Cohen, Morgana Robinson and Stewart Rodeheaver

BBFC cuts were required for 2026 cinema release. These ar undetailed cuts with the BBFC citing the Protection of Children Act 1978.

Summary Notes

Hip-hop journalist Ali G returns after 20 years to make a documentary with real people. Cameras follow him for over a year as he takes classes, walks the streets, and appears on shows, often with his pregnant girlfriend.

Versions

cut:   run: 88:45s pal: 85:12s		UK: BBFC 15 rated with a trigger warning for strong sex references, crude humour, language, discrimination after BBFC cuts: 2026 Amazon Digital UK cinema release (rated 16/10/2026) The BBFC commented: A cut was made in accordance with BBFC Guidelines, policy, and the Protection of Children Act 1978.
uncut run: 88:58s pal: 85:24s		Ireland: Uncut and IFCO 16 rated with a trigger warning for strong sexual content, language and discriminatory terms, crude humour throughout: 2026 Amazon MGM Studios cinema release

Repressive new online safety measures have failed to limit the proportion of children suffering harm from social media, the UK's internet censor has admitted.

The proportion of children being fed unsafe content that often left them frightened, confused and upset, was almost unchanged, according to an Ofcom review of the first nine months of supposedly strict requirements on social media platforms such as TikTok and Instagram.

Under the Online Safety Act, the tech giants had to protect children from harmful content including pornography, serious violence, suicide material, racism, misogyny and bullying, with a series of specific duties introduced in summer 2025. But Ofcom found that at a total level there was no significant change in the proportion of children encountering harmful content over the first nine months after the children's safety duties came into force in July 2025. It called the finding concerning and said there was no evidence indicating a change in the severity of harm.

The regulator is already facing a wave of legal actions from tech companies challenging its powers including the Instagram operator Meta, as well as TikTok and X. It has warned it risks being absolutely clobbered legally by deep-pocketed individuals and firms.

Of course Ofcom has spun the abject failure as a reason for doubling down on censorship. The censor has proposed adding additional censorship rules banning content that makes children feel bad about their bodies or else somehow makes them feel unhappy (with the right think terminology  equivalencing this to mental health issues like depression).

On Monday 2 November, MPs will debate a petition relating to the proposed ban on social media for under 16s.

Tony Vaughan MP, a member of the Petitions Committee, has been asked by the Committee to open the debate. MPs from all parties can take part, and the Government will send a minister to respond.

The petition reads:

Do not ban social media for under 16s

The petition, which received more than 217,000 signatures, states: I think the government shouldn't ban social media for under 16s. This is because for many young people social media is how they communicate with their friends. Some people view social media as a lifeline. A community, a supportive network. This is why I think the government shouldn't ban it.

In its response to the petition, provided on 4 March 2026, the Government said:

The government recognises the benefits of digital technologies, including social media, for children. We are consulting on how to ensure children have an enriching and positive experience online.

See full response from petition.parliament.uk

Petitions debates are general debates which allow MPs from all parties to discuss the important issues raised by one or more petitions, and put their concerns to Government Ministers.

Petition debates don't end with a vote to implement the request of a petition. This means MPs will not vote on the request of the petitions at the end of the debate. Instead, the aim is to give MPs an opportunity to discuss the issues raised by a petition, and get a response from the Government.

Casino Royale is a 2006 US/UK/Czech/Germany/Bahamas spy film by Martin Campbell.
With Daniel Craig, Eva Green and Judi Dench.  

Originally cut according to BBFC for a 12 rating. The film was also cut in the US but differently for a PG-13 rating. The uncut version was later released on Blu-ray with a 15 rating in the UK and MPAA Unrated in the US. The uncut version was downrated to BBFC 12A for 2026 cinema release.

Summary Notes

James Bond goes on his first ever mission as a 00. Le Chiffre is a banker to the world's terrorists. He is participating in a poker game at Montenegro, where he must win back his money, in order to stay safe among the terrorist market. The boss of MI6, known simply as M sends Bond, along with Vesper Lynd to attend this game and prevent Le Chiffre from winning. Bond, using help from Felix Leiter, Mathis and having Vesper pose as his wife, enters the most important poker game in his already dangerous career. But if Bond defeats Le Chiffre, will he and Vesper Lynd remain safe?

Cutting Edge

A video and detailed description of the BBFC and MPAA cuts in
Gavin Salkeld's Cutting Edge 11: Casino Royale
See more from Cutting Edge

Versions

uncut run: 144:21s pal: 138:35s		UK: Uncut and BBFC 12A rated for moderate violence, threat, injury detail, language, sex: 2026 Park Circus cinema release (rated 22/09/2026) titled Casino Royale (20th Anniversary Edition) The BBFC commented (with thanks to Joseph): Over the two decades since the film's original release, audience familiarity with the James Bond series' darker, more grounded tone in the Daniel Craig films has grown. Contemporary viewers expect a higher degree of threat and intensity in modern action cinema compared to the expectations of 2006 or 2012. Re-assessing the torture scene under current guidelines revealed that while the extended cut contains a small number of additional close-ups and reaction shots, it does not contain explicit bloodiness, gory detail or sexualised violence. The core elements causing impact, psychological threat and implied pain, remain substantially similar in tone to the theatrical 12A cut from 2006. The violence occurs within a fantastical spy-thriller setting rather than a realistic domestic or real-world context. Crucially, the scene relies heavily on dialogue and actor performance rather than graphic visual harm, and the protagonist ultimately survives and prevails, reducing the overall sense of lingering trauma. Under BBFC Classification Guidelines, the restored footage does not cross the threshold into sustained visual cruelty or graphic injury detail that would require a mandatory 15 rating. Consequently, the 20th anniversary complete international version is classified 12A for moderate violence, threat, injury detail, language, and sex, bringing it into alignment with the original theatrical release. UK: Passed 15 uncut for one scene of torture and strong action violence for: 2020 MGM (RB) 4K Blu-ray at UK Amazon titled Casino Royale (Extended Version) 2020 MGM Amazon Prime VoD [UK only] at UK Amazon 2015 20th Century Fox RB Blu-ray at UK Amazon 2015 20th Century Fox 23 Films Premium Edition RB Blu-ray UK Amazon 2015 20th Century Fox 23 Films RB Blu-ray at UK Amazon 2015 20th Century Fox 23 Films R2 DVD at UK Amazon 2013 Sony [Daniel Craig Triple Pack] R0 Blu-ray at UK Amazon 2012 MGM R0 Blu-ray [Bond 50 Collection] at UK Amazon 2012 MGM R0 Blu-ray at UK Amazon titled Casino Royale (Extended Version) The BBFC noted: Additional material in torture scene The BBFC later commented that not all the cut material was restored. Some material seen during the rough cut stage did not make the final cut, but the UK 15 rated release is now the definitive worldwide version. US: Casino Royale is uncut and MPAA Unrated: 2019 MGM [007 The Daniel Craig Collection] R0 4K Blu-ray at US Amazon US: Uncut for VoD streaming at Vudu (thanks to Neil)
advised category cuts cut: run: 144:08s pal: 138:22s		UK: Passed 12A/12 after BBFC advised category cuts were implemented for: 2015 20th Century Fox 23 Films R2 DVD at UK Amazon 2013 Sony [Daniel Craig Triple Pack] R2 DVD 2012 MGM [22 Film Collection] R2 DVD 2007 Sony R0 Blu-ray 2007 Sony R2 DVD 2006 cinema release The BBFC commented: Cut on BBFC advice in 2006: This film was originally seen by the BBFC in an unfinished version, for advice as to the film's suitability at '12A'. The BBFC advised the company that the torture scene placed too much emphasis on both the infliction of pain and the sadism of the villain for the requested '12A' category. When the completed version of the film was submitted for classification, reductions to the torture sequence had been made, including the removal of lingering shots of the rope, close shots of Bond's facial reaction and the substitution of a more distant shot of the beating compared to the original version. This re-edited version of the scene was considered acceptable at '12A', where the Guidelines permit violence provided there is no dwelling on detail or emphasis on injuries. Thanks to Floyd: The Region 3 DVD is uncut, but there's nothing graphic in the torture scene. There are a couple of lingering shots, most notably where Le Chiffre lands the rope gently on Bond's shoulder. In the cut version when there is a distant shot of him walking around Bond he says 'you've taken care of your body', and then in the next shot he's swinging the rope before hitting Bond. In the uncut version however, he lands the rope on his shoulder, and he leans over to him and says, 'such a waste'. The sound seems to be cut down as well of Chiffre swinging the rope before striking Bond, but nothing really shocking. It seems that the hopes of an uncut US release are premature. The Irish 15A is the same version as the UK release. It appears that the German version has suffered even more cuts than the US/UK versions to achieve a 12 rating. Perhaps the uncut version may have to wait on the (inevitable) Directors Cut.
cut cut: run: 144:10s pal: 138:24s		US: The PG-13 rated US region 1 release was cut. Through the use of numerous techniques including small snips, the shifting of edit points and alternative footage, Campbell re-edited the film's opening bathroom fight and the later stairwell fight to secure a PG-13 rating in the United States.