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Actor Riz Ahmed says UK spies tried three times to recruit him

The Guardian

|

May 25, 2026

The Oscar-winning actor Riz Ahmed has claimed that Britain’s intelligence services tried three times to recruit him, including one occasion involving a senior BBC executive.

- Nadeem Badshah

Ahmed, 43, said: “Well, it’s happened three different times and they’re all slightly ridiculous, and this is what I mean by it, it’s just like inherently comedic.

“One was when I came back from my first film, Road to Guantanamo, we landed at Luton airport celebrating.

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