Beckham 'not famous enough' to appear on The Simpsons

The LA Galaxy star was not considered famour enough to appear on the show (GETTY IMAGES)

David Beckham was apparently turned down for a cameo on The Simpsons because producers didn't think he was famous enough.

The footballer and style icon may have posed in nothing but his pants on a giant billboard for Armani underwear, but he was not turned into a yellow cartoon to meet Bart and Homer as executives behind the hit TV show felt he wasn't well known enough in the US.

Executive producer Al Jean told The Daily Mirror: "I had to phone David Beckham to tell him sorry - I didn't think he was a big enough star for an American audience."

He added: "I got a lot of grief about that.

"Some people got angry about it and told me, 'I bet you would have put George Best on'. But I would have turned him down too."

British celebrities to have guest starred on The Simpsons include Ricky Gervais and Emily Blunt - and Simon Cowell is about to make his third cameo appearance this year.