Joe Lycett: Comedian curtsies after ‘shredding £10,000’ over David Beckham World Cup ultimatum

Comedian wore a rainbow-striped jacket as he appeared to destroy the money

Joe Lycett claims he'll shred £10,000 if David Beckham does not drop Qatar partnership

Joe Lycett has appeared to “shred £10,000” following “radio silence” from David Beckham over his World Cup ultimatum.

Last Sunday (13 November), the comedian released a video on social media in which he directly addressed Beckham about his deal promoting the World Cup in Qatar.

In the video, Lycett said that he would give £10,000 to charities that support gay people in football if Beckham pulls out of his reported £10 million deal over the country’s stance on LGBT+ issues.

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 live stream it this Sunday (20 November) at midday on the website BendersLikeBeckham.com.

While the Birmingham-born comic upped the ante over the last week, sharing an email he sent to Beckham’s publicist and a picture of the shredder he would be using, the footballer did not respond to or even acknowledge Lycett’s challenge.

While Lycett is known for his high profile stunts, from changing his name to Hugo Boss to pretending to be “very right wing”, this one proved to be particularly divisive.

Many people implored Lycett not to destroy the money as the country has just entered a recession and is in a cost-of-living crisis.

However, some argued back that Lycett’s ultimatum to Beckham was only an effective protest if he does actually shred the money.

But despite doubts being cast, Lycett did appear to shred the money as he appeared on the livestream on Sunday.

Lycett had previously warned Beckham, “not just the money, but also your status as gay icon will be shredded”.

“Also you’ll be forcing me to commit what might be a crime,” he said in his original video. “Although even then, I reckon I’ll get off more lightly than I would if I got caught whacking off a lad in Doha.”

[20 November 2022 12:11 · Isobel Lewis]

Watch as Joe Lycett ‘shreds £10,000’ on livestream

For those of you who missed it, here’s the clip.

[20 November 2022 12:14 · Isobel Lewis]

Well, that’s what Joe Lycett thinks of David Beckham’s “platform for progress” comment, then...

[20 November 2022 12:18 · Isobel Lewis]

In case you missed it, Joe Lycett wore a rainbow jacket with black, light blue and pink sections at the top.

(Joe Lycett)

These are the colours seen in the Progress Pride flag, which was developed in 2018 by nonbinary American artist and designer Daniel Quasar as an inclusive update to represent the LGBT+ community.

[20 November 2022 12:38 · Isobel Lewis]

Did Joe Lycett destroy the £10,000?

Just tuning in? Yep, it seems like Joe Lycett really did destroy that £10,000.

[20 November 2022 12:42 · Isobel Lewis]

The Thick of It star and comedian Chris Addison has come out in praise of Lycett, calling him “a force for good”.

[20 November 2022 12:47 · Isobel Lewis]

I have to admit though, this was definitely me...

[20 November 2022 13:36 · Isobel Lewis]

What does Joe Lycett’s ‘a platform for progress’ caption mean?

When Lycett posted the clip of the shredding on social media, he simply captioned the post: “‘A platform for progress.’”

Not only did Beckham not respond to Lycett’s ultimatum, but he has not commented on Qatar’s stance on LGBT+ issues at all.

The extent of his commentary came on Thursday (17 November) when Beckham, who has previously been supportive of LGBT+ issues, spoke at an event in Qatar and said that the 2022 World Cup would be “a platform for progress”.

[20 November 2022 15:10 · Isobel Lewis]

Lycett has divided fans with his stunt, with some saying it was a waste to destroy the cash, while others called it a provocative, yet effective way of raising awareness.