<div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/uk" rel="" target="" title="English town of Staines"><span>English town of Staines</span></a><span> changed its name on </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/today-in-history" rel="" target="" title="May 20, 2012"><span>May 20, 2012</span></a><span>, in an effort to distance itself from a non-existent person.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>From 1998, one of the UK's most beloved comedy characters, </span><a href="https://celebrity.nine.com.au/tv/art-imitating-life-popular-tv-characters-based-on-real-people/8ad6a683-8501-4c38-8d16-107fdac86ef2" rel="" target="" title="Ali G"><span>Ali G</span></a><span>, claimed to be from Staines.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>In his comedy show and the subsequent movie, Ali G, played by </span><a href="https://celebrity.nine.com.au/sacha-baron-cohen" rel="" target="" title="Sacha Baron Cohen"><span>Sacha Baron Cohen</span></a><span>, presented himself as the leader of gang Da West Staines Massif.</span></div></div><div><div id="adspot-mobile-medium"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE: </span></strong><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/today-in-history-may-15-what-happened-on-this-day-larry-bader-fritz-johnson/dc94547b-999d-4a04-a841-f700bda23f37" target="" title=""><strong><span>TV presenter's secret past not even he knew about</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Ali G presented Staines as being an inner-city ghetto and himself as being a black gangster rapper.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The irony of his character was that Ali G was clearly white and middle-class.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Extending the irony, Staines was not in the inner-city, but a leafy and suburban commuter town on the outskirts of London.</span></div></div><div><div class="OUTBRAIN" data-reactroot="" data-src="//www.9news.com.au/world/today-in-history-may-20-what-happened-on-this-day-staines/c403b976-71ad-490d-9e27-931c9f4be1bd" data-widget-id="AR_5"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>While the town is only obliquely referenced in Da Ali G Show, it is the central setting of the 2002 film Ali G Indahouse.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>In the film, Ali G is elected to parliament as the member for Staines to prevent his gang hangout being demolished.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/today-in-history-may-17-what-happened-on-this-day-lenin-was-a-mushroom/5b590056-7dcf-4ce7-a69b-f70811f2de87"><strong><span>Russian TV audience tricked into believing Lenin was a mushroom</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>He later discovers the whole town is intended for demolition to extend Heathrow Airport.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The happy ending of the film involves the prime minister saving Staines and deciding to flatten the town of Slough instead.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Staines was not happy about the association, and its name was officially changed to Staines-upon-Thames.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The change came after business groups lobbied the Spelthorne borough council.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The renaming came despite the town going by that name since at least the Dark Ages.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/today-in-history-may-19-what-happened-on-this-day-primmie-niven/c495f45a-eb30-4679-9a1e-737519ff2e80" rel="" target="" title="Hollywood A-lister's wife killed during hide-and-seek freak accident"><strong><span>Hollywood A-lister's wife killed during hide-and-seek freak accident</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/today-in-history" target="" title="For more from our Today in History archive, click here."><strong><span>For more from our Today in History archive, click here</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><em><span>NEVER MISS A STORY:</span></em></strong><span> </span><em><span>Get your breaking news and exclusive stories first by following us across all platforms.</span></em></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><ul><li><strong><em><span>Download the 9NEWS App here via</span></em></strong><span> </span><a href="https://apps.apple.com/au/app/9news/id1010533727" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>Apple</span></em></strong></a><span> </span><strong><em><span>and</span></em></strong><span> </span><a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=nineNewsAlerts.nine.com&amp;hl=en_AU&amp;pli=1" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>Google Play</span></em></strong></a></li><li><strong><em><span>Make 9News your preferred source on Google by</span></em></strong><span> </span><a href="https://9.nine.com.au/8x987w" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>ticking this box here</span></em></strong></a></li><li><strong><em><span>Sign up to</span></em></strong><span> </span><a href="https://login.nine.com.au/edm?client_id=nineatnine" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>our breaking newsletter here</span></em></strong></a></li></ul></div></div>