Joe Lycett increased pressure on David Beckham over the World Cup.
The comedian has posted another message to the footballer, four days before the tournament’s opening ceremony.
This is when Lycett’s ultimatum to Beckham ends – if he cancels his deal with the tournament, the comedy star will donate £10,000 to LGBTQ+ charities. If he doesn’t end the deal, Lycett will livestream himself shredding the money.
Each £1,000 represents one of the ten million that Beckham’s deal is reportedly worth.
The new message is a screenshot of an email from Lycett to Beckham’s PR team, asking: “If there’s any chance he might budge on his position?”
“I really don’t want to shred ten grand!!!” he added.
Lycett launched the website ‘benderslikebeckham.com’, calling Beckham out for the hypocrisy of signing a deal as an endorsement of the competition taking place in a country which criminalises LGBTQ+ relationships.
Punishment includes imprisonment and sometimes the death penalty.
Lycett warned Beckham that if he follows through supporting the tournament, “Not just the money, but also your status as gay icon will be shredded.”
An email to Beckham’s PR. Less than 4 days to go. #benderslikebeckham 🌈 pic.twitter.com/ANikkvfFjw
— Joe Lycett (@joelycett) November 16, 2022
The comedian is not alone in his criticism of Beckham.
In a recent press briefing for the Sport & Rights Alliance, Di Cunningham, a co-founder of Three Lions Pride, an LGBTQ+ England football fans group, shared: “I’m just so disappointed because we – the LGBTQ+ football family – have put David Beckham on a pedestal, as a great ally.”
There has been widespread criticism of the World Cup being held in a country where LGBTQ+ people are persecuted. A number of venues in Birmingham’s Gay Village are not screening the games in response.
Local business owner Lawrence Barton told the BBC that “community matters more than making money”, and “there is no way I could ever consider profiting from knowing that that is the situation in Qatar with our community”.
The Qatar World Cup takes place 20 November – 18 December.
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