Apr 4, 2026 3:27pm PT

Riz Ahmed Takes Aim at British During Opening Monologue on ‘Saturday Night Live U.K.’: ‘We Like It When Things Are a Little Bit Crap’

Leo Barraclough

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Leo Barraclough

International Features Editor

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Courtesy of Sky

Riz Ahmed took aim at the British during his opening monologue as host on “Saturday Night Live U.K.” on April 4. “We like it when things are a little bit crap,” he said.

Ahmed started with a dig at his own eclectic credit list: “I’m an actor, I’m a writer, I’m a producer, and I’m a rapper. So for those of you who don’t know who I am, clearly, neither do I. I’m working it out.”

He referenced his Oscar-nominated performance in “Sound of Metal,” and his part as a terrorist in the comedy “Four Lions,” as well as his latest starring role in madcap TV comedy show “Bait.” “It’s about an out-of-work actor auditioning to be James Bond, and the character is going through an identity crisis,” he explained. “And if you’re wondering why I made a comedy about someone having an identity crisis, look at me, man, I’m confused. It’s not my fault. I grew up in Wembley, but I went to Oxford University, and that’s why I sound like this, like a mix between Stormzy and [former British Prime Minister] Rishi Sunak.”

Riz Ahmed Takes Aim at British During Opening Monologue on 'Saturday Night Live U.K.': 'We Like It When Things Are a Little Bit Crap'