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.”
He then took a swipe at his fellow Brits. “Sometimes I feel like the whole nation is having this identity crisis, and that’s why we’re so divided, right? We’re divided over politics, over the climate, over the Beckhams. I think that I know how to solve it. I think I can solve Britain’s identity crisis. I think there’s one thing that unites us all, in essence. What makes us British is we like it when things are a little bit crap.”
“Yes, we like giving crap compliments. You know, someone says he’s a bit of a character, that means you’re a knob [British slang for a dick]. We like sports that are a bit crap. Cricket can go on for five days and still be a draw. And we like giving gifts that are a bit crap […] We celebrate when things are a bit crap. We literally cheer when someone drops their pint glass in the pub.”
Ahmed recently told the Guardian, “The dream is to be a standup comedian, but everyone who knows me says, ‘Please don’t do that.’”
The first-ever season of the British twist on the U.S. comedy staple “SNL” kicked off on March 21 with host Tina Fey and musical guest Wet Leg.
British comedian Jack Whitehall will host the April 11 episode with R&B artist Jorja Smith as the musical guest.
The series, which is set to run for eight episodes, will then take a weeklong hiatus and return for its next batch of shows starting April 25.
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