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Richard Branson lifted up his kilt to the watching crowd to reveal pants bearing the slogan “stiff competition” as he stepped off the first Virgin plane at Edinburgh airport from Heathrow.

The Virgin Atlantic president performed his latest publicity stunt as he promoted his company’s expansion into Scotland.

“Stiff competition” alluded to Richard Branson’s newly launched domestic service, Little Red, which will now offer Virgin flights between Edinburgh and Aberdeen, and London, in direct competition with British Airways.

Richard Branson lifted up his kilt to the watching crowd to reveal pants bearing the slogan “stiff competition” as he stepped off the first Virgin plane at Edinburgh airport from Heathrow

Richard Branson lifted up his kilt to the watching crowd to reveal pants bearing the slogan “stiff competition” as he stepped off the first Virgin plane at Edinburgh airport from Heathrow

Richard Branson – who had a Scottish grandmother and is married to a Glaswegian – stood on an elevated platform on the windy runway and said it was “great to be in Edinburgh” before he exposed his underwear to a crowd which included Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon.

Speaking after the stunt, the billionaire said he was “enjoying wearing a kilt”.

“Despite the weather it is nice to have a bit of fresh air and it is very comfortable,” he added.

“I’ve got to the age where it is wise to always wear something under my kilt- especially in weather like this.”

This is not the first time Richard Branson has resorted to such uncouth publicity stunts.

The new Little Red service launched yesterday will be the first time Virgin Atlantic has operated connecting flights from Scottish destinations, and Richard Branson said he was “excited” to have been given the airport slots that came available after domestic airline British Midlands was forced out of business.

“We are delighted that we managed to pick up these slots as it means we can offer stiff competition to British Airways,” he said.

“There are a lot of people from around the world who love to fly to Edinburgh and Aberdeen and now we can finally now compete properly with BA and give people the opportunity to travel up here with Virgin.

“I look forward to a long and fruitful relationship with Scotland.”

The expanded Virgin Atlantic service will create 130 new jobs in Scotland, and is expected to generate £75 million ($118 million) in revenue for the Scottish economy.

Speaking yesterday, Richard Branson said that while he was “thrilled” that Virgin had finally been allowed to expand services to Edinburgh and Aberdeen, he was unhappy that they had been prevented from operating out of Glasgow.

“I would love to be flying to Glasgow as well, but for some bizarre reason the competition authorities, who bequeathed us these slots, didn’t allow us to have the slots to compete with British airways out of Glasgow,” he said.

After reporting losses of up to £135 million ($212 million) over the past two years, Richard Branson and Virgin Atlantic’s new Chief Executive, Craig Kreeger, said that the new domestic service was just one part of the company’s plans to push its finances back into the black.

And despite his brazen publicity stunt, Richard Branson was insistent that he would remain on neutral ground over the question of Scottish Independence.

“If Scotland becomes independent they will have an airline that will be delighted to connect them to their neighboring country and if it stays part of Great Britain, we will be equally delighted to have Scottish people use our services to take visits down to little old England,” said Richard Branson.

Either way, Virgin will stay independent of this particular debate.”

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British comedy actor Sacha Baron Cohen was escorted off the Oscars red carpet after a publicity stunt for his new film, The Dictator.

Sacha Baron Cohen arrived in character as a middle eastern leader and claimed to be carrying the ashes of former North Korean leader Kim Jong-Il.

In an interview with US TV host Ryan Seacrest, Sacha Baron Cohen said it was Kim Jong-Il’s dying wish “to be sprinkled over the red carpet and over Halle Berry’s chest”.

He then tipped the urn over the host, covering his tuxedo in white dust.

Sacha Baron Cohen, who is known for outrageous publicity stunts in films like Borat and Bruno, was bundled off the red carpet by security guards.

Turning to the camera, Ryan Seacrest said: “Anything can happen and it most certainly did, all over my lapel.”

Sacha Baron Cohen stopped by security to pour the ashes on the red carpet at Oscars 2012

Sacha Baron Cohen stopped by security to pour the ashes on the red carpet at Oscars 2012

Sacha Baron Cohen’s film, The Dictator, is expected to be released in March. He was invited to the Oscars as a cast member of Martin Scorsese’s multiple award nominee Hugo.

There had been reports during the week that he had been forbidden to attend the ceremony after asking to arrive in character as Admiral General Aladeen – which the Academy denied.

In response, Sacha Baron Cohen posted a statement to General Aladeen’s Twitter account.

“VICTORY IS OURS! Today the Mighty Nation of Wadiya triumphed over the Zionist snakes of Hollywood.

“Evil and all those who made Satan their protector were vanquished and driven into the Pacific Sea. What I am trying to say here is that the Academy have surrendered and sent over two tickets and a parking pass! TODAY OSCAR, TOMORROW OBAMA!”

After the red carpet stunt, Moneyball actor Jonah Hill, who was up for best supporting actor, said: “I guess the Oscars isn’t the best place to sell your movie. I think he’s a funny guy, though.”

“Ryan’s mouth dropped open on live TV,” laughed Jackie Collins.

“But that’s what makes live TV good.

“I don’t think Ryan was very pleased, but I don’t think I’d be very pleased.”

Piers Morgan commented it was “just another day in Hollywood”.

30 Rock actress Tina Fey saw the funny side, and crossed herself over the ashes as she walked past.

Speaking to BBC 5 live, Jay Leno said: “Only in Hollywood does that dictator override Libya” as a major news story.

“And somehow that’s more shocking.

“It’s certainly worse than anything Gadaffi or Assad could possibly have done.”

Comedian Steve Martin said: “I love Sacha Baron Cohen”, and joked that the red carpet shouldn’t be sacred ground.

“It should be 12% respect, 23% levity and 13% joy.”

It is not the first time Sacha Baron Cohen has used industry events to promote his movies.

In 2006, Sacha Baron Cohen arrived at the Toronto International Film Festival dressed as Borat, the main character from the hit comedy.

In 2009, Sacha Baron Cohen went to the MTV Video Music Awards as flamboyant fashion critic Bruno, to promote his movie of the same name.

During the show Sacha Baron Cohen was launched into the air wearing a harness and landed in the lap of US rap star Eminem, who stormed out – although it was later reported that the musician had been in on the joke.

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