The Dictator soils the red carpet

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After a week of will-he-or-won't-he controversy, comedian Sacha Baron Cohen walked the red carpet at the Academy Awards in character from his upcoming film The Dictator.

Dressed as His Excellency Admiral General Aladeen in military dress adorned with medals, a bearded Cohen was also carrying an urn with an image of Kim Jong-il's face. When interviewed by E!'s Ryan Seacrest, Cohen said he was wearing John Galliano, except for the socks, which were from Kmart. Before the interview could end, Cohen spilled the urn's ashes down the front of Seacrest's tux. Cohen feigned shock -- Kim Jong! -- and was quickly ushered away by a swarm of beefy security guards.

Earlier in the week, rumours had begun to swirl that the Academy had banned Cohen from attending the ceremony after news leaked that he was planning on attending in character, the kind of publicity stunt the Academy frowns upon.

Seacrest didn't seem too happy about it, either.

The last man (and woman) standing

And the award for the last celebrity to take his or her seat before showtime goes to ... Actually, it's a tie this year, with Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie claiming the honor.

Sandra Bullock gives Octavia Spencer a little help

When Octavia Spencer was announced as winner of the supporting actress Oscar for The Help one of the loudest whoops came from backstage. "Sorry," Sandra Bullock quickly apologized as workers turned to stare. "I don't even know what I said," a still stunned Spencer remarked as she walked offstage and into the arms of Bullock.

And the Oscar for best impersonaton of Melissa Leo goes to . . .

Documentary filmmaker T.J. Martin contributed one of those unintentional Oscar night moments when he dropped the F-word while accepting his award.

Martin and his two co-winners were racing to beat the 45-second limit on acceptance speeches when he inadvertently let the word slip. He said it would be " [expletive]awesome" if all of the other nominees in the category could also come on stage.

ABC caught it and muted the broadcast before it got on TV.

Martin, meanwhile, apologized immediately. "It was out of spontaneity. It was completely accidental," he said backstage.

He can take some solace in the fact he wasn't the first to do it. Last year Melissa Leo let the same word slip after winning the supporting actress Oscar for The Fighter.

With a report from The Associated Press