Sacha Baron Cohen is hoping to win over some of his fiercest critics with his latest magazine offering.

The Bruno star appears on the cover of Attitude this month following accusations from some sections of the gay community that his character promotes rather than satirises homophobia.

The controversial comedian, who plays a flamboyant Austrian designer in his latest big screen film, peeled right off for the front cover of the UK’s best selling gay magazine.



The photograph appears under the tag line: ‘Comedy genius of the most homophobic film ever made?’

In the interview, which Cohen conducted as his outrageous alter ego, he cites his favourite gay icons as X Factor boss Simon Cowell and singers Kylie and Dannii Minogue.

The cover follows claims Bruno is offensive and perpetuates gay stereotyping.

Rashad Robinson, of the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, said last month: ‘Some people in our community may like this movie, but many are not going to be OK with it.

‘Sacha Baron Cohen’s well-meaning attempt at satire is problematic in many places and outright offensive in others.’

Actor Peter Paige, from US TV series Queer As Folk, echoed the sentiment, saying: ‘When you see a Bruno clip in a room full of gay men, everyone laughs and it’s fine.’

‘When you see a Bruno clip in a room full of straight men, they’re all laughing, and it’s a different thing. You start to go, “Hmmm, I don’t know how I feel about this.”‘

Claims were made that producers were forced to undertake ’significant reshoots’ after preview audiences reacted angrily to the film