Sacha Baron Cohen defends Borat

Sacha Baron Cohen has defended his fictional creation Borat, saying that he his a tool to reveal racism.

For the first time since the release of his film Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan, the comedian has spoken out of character.

He told Rolling Stone magazine, "The joke is not on Kazakhstan. I think the joke is on people who think that the Kazakhstan that I describe can exist.

"Borat works essentially as a tool. By himself being anti-Semitic, he lets people lower their guard and expose their own prejudice, whether it's anti-Semitism or an acceptance of anti-Semitism."

The film has topped both US and UK box office charts for two weeks running.