Sacha Baron Cohen is mourning the death of his alter-ego Borat after deciding to kill him off.

The actor has decided he can no longer reprise his popular characters - gangster-rapper Ali G and anti-Semitic homophobic reporter Borat - as they have become too famous.

He said: "When I was being Ali G and Borat I was in character sometimes 14 hours a day, and I came to love them. So admitting I am never going to play them again is quite a sad thing. It's like saying goodbye to a loved one.

"It is hard, and the problem with success, although it's fantastic, is that every new person who sees the 'Borat.' movie is one less person I 'get' with Borat again. So it's kind of self-defeating form really.

"It's upsetting, but the success has been great and better than anything I could have dreamed of."

Cohen also revealed he prefers hiding behind his characters as it's more "fun".

The star - who is often interviewed in character - added to Britain's Daily Telegraph newspaper: "It's much easier for me to be in character, and it's a lot more fun.

"I think it can get a little bit tiresome if you're having to be the real person and talking about how important and interesting the role was. To me, it should be entertaining, and the entertainment should carry on."

* updated Borat - Buying a House

Ali G - Science