Sacha Baron Cohen Killed an Old Lady at the Britannia Awards

Sacha Baron Cohen was presented the Charlie Chaplin Britannia for Excellence in Comedy at the BAFTA Jaguar Britannia Awards over the weekend and unlike the MTV EMAs, this awards show was a much classier affair.

Cohen did not pull out a joint and smoke it on stage. Instead, he accepted his award with grace and dignity. Then he pushed an old woman in a wheelchair off the stage and killed her.

The Andy Kaufman-esque skit began when wheelchair-bound Grace Cullington, introduced as an 87-year-old woman and Charlie Chaplin’s oldest surviving co-star, presented Cohen the cane Champlin used during filming. Cohen then did the Chaplin dance, leaned on the cane, broke it and pushed Cullington off the stage forcing her to fall face first onto the ground.

Cullington was actually a stunt woman and I assume she’s alright but just in case she wasn’t, Cohen issued a threat in his acceptance speech.

“Grace Cullington is the oldest, no, sorry, was the oldest surviving [Chaplin co-star],” Baron Cohen said following the fall. “I dedicate my award to her. This is obviously a tragedy. She has upstaged me. But on the bright side, what a great way to go, giving an award to me. Thus, she’ll probably make the Oscars In Memoriam segment,” he deadpanned.

“I’d like to say a few words to her family: Do not try to sue me. If you decide to get the lawyers involved, I will take you down just like I did your granny. The cane that woman forced on me was clearly defective and I’ve got lots of witnesses. At least 400 in this room and at least 500 watching on TV. Anyway, tonight is not about her, it’s about me.”

The only thing that would have made this skit better is if he left her on the floor moaning like the grape lady and tried to talk over her in his speech.