Joe Lycett ‘shreds £10,000’ after David Beckham fails to respond to Qatar World Cup ultimatum
Comedian appeared in tulle jacket in the colours of the Pride Progress flag for short livestream
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Joe Lycett has appeared to shred £10,000 after David Beckham refused to pull out of his reported £10 million World Cup deal.
Last week, the stand-up comedian issued an ultimatum to Beckham over his involvement in the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
Lycett said that he would give £10,000 to charities that support gay people in football if Beckham ended his alleged multi-million deal over the country’s stance on LGBT+ issues. It is illegal to be gay in Qatar.
If Beckham did not do so, Lycett said he would shred the £10,000 (£1,000 for every £1m allegedly earned by the former England player) and livestream it on Sunday (20 November) at midday on the website BendersLikeBeckham.com.
Over the past week, Beckham did not acknowledge Lycett’s challenge, but said on Thursday (17 November) that the World Cup would be a “platform for progress”.
Jordan Gray: ‘A handful of death threats is a lot for a week. Spread ‘em out!’
Joe Lycett ‘shreds £10,000’ after David Beckham fails to respond to Qatar World Cup ultimatum
‘I wouldn’t stand in a room with someone misogynistic, racist, or homophobic’: Stephen Graham on prejudice, social realism, and Matilda
As the date drew closer, Lycett’s fans were divided about the stunt.
Some said that while the comedian’s point was valid, he should donate the money to charity instead (especially during a cost-of-living crisis).
Others, however, argued that the £10,000 was a mere drop in the ocean compared to Beckham’s reported deal and that asking Lycett to donate the money was missing the point.
At 12pm on Sunday, the event was livestreamed, with Lycett appearing by the pile of cash in a tulle jacket in the colours of the Pride Progress flag.
Without speaking, the Birmingham native simply picked up the money and threw the piles into the shredder. He then gave a curtsy and walked off.
Sharing the clip on social media, Lycett simply wrote: “A platform for progress” in direct reference to Beckham’s comment.
You can follow more updates on The Independent’s live blog here.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments