David Beckham finally responds to Joe Lycett money shredding stunt following Channel 4 show
David Beckham has finally responded to Joe Lycett after he infamously threatened to shred £10,000 if he didn’t sever ties with Qatar before the World Cup.
As was revealed shortly after the deadline and the money was seemingly thrown into a shredder, the comedian didn’t actually shred the sizeable sum and instead gave the money to charity.
However, what the stunt did achieve was raise more awareness surrounding the Gulf state’s human rights abuses and, in particular, their discrimination against the LGBTQ+ community.
Finally, in a special edition of Joe Lycett’s Got Your Back programme on Channel 4, the comedian read out an official statement issued by a spokesperson for Beckham.
Lycett also confirmed on social media that he could not share his opinions on the response but thanked the network for their cooperation throughout the very public ‘Benders Like Beckham’ prank.
The spokesperson emphasised that beyond being part of multiple international tournaments down the years, the 47-year-old has “always believed that sport has the power to be a force for good in the world” and “has a genuine ability to bring people together and make a real contribution to communities.
The statement goes on to say: “We understand that there are different and strongly held views about engagement in the Middle East but see it as positive that debate about the key issues has been stimulated directly by the first World Cup being held in the region.
“We hope that these conversations will lead to greater understanding and empathy towards all people and that progress will be achieved.”
Once again, while the 34-year-old comic has been advised not to comment but – much like the pundits criticised for choosing to attend Qatar 2022 – Lycett, Beckham’s detractors and football fans, in general, will no doubt be reiterating that he could raise these issues from home and without being paid.
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The programme itself, which aired on Thursday, 15 December, went on to take aim at official sponsors like McDonald’s and Budweiser for backing the competition. The lattermost continued to promote their brand even after the country banned the sale of beer just days before the competition.
As mentioned above, Lycett also went on to speak to Naser Mohamed, a campaigner who claims to be the first and only openly gay person in Qatar and detailed how he was cut off from his family and friends.
He also went on to claim that he was blocked by Beckham’s Instagram account after he tagged him in a post highlighting the “life-threatening reality of the country’s anti-LGBTQ+ policy with the comment, “this is what is happening”.
You can watch the latest episode of Joe Lycett’s Got Your Back on All4 HERE.
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Featured Image — Channel 4/David Beckham (via Instagram)