Joe Lycett reveals ‘truth’ behind £10k shredding stunt in ‘final message’ to David Beckham
Joe Lycett throws £10,000 into a shredder to protest Beckham’s Qatar World Cup deal. (Getty)
Joe Lycett has sent a final message to David Beckham, revealing that the £10,000 he shredded was fake.
Joe Lycett appeared to shred the money on Sunday (20 November) after giving Beckham an ultimatum to pull out of his deal to be the face of Qatar, or watch Lycett destroy the money and his reputation as a “gay icon”.
After the stunt made headlines, Lycett said that while the cash that entered the shredder was real, video trickery was involved, and the confetti that left it was fake.
“I would never destroy real money, I would never be so irresponsible”.
He confirmed he donated the £10,000 – the amount he ‘shredded’ – to LGBTQ+ charities before even he sent the original challenge.
“I never expected to hear from you. It was an empty threat designed to get people talking. In many ways, it was like your deal with Qatar, David, total bulls**t from the start.”
🏳️🌈 pic.twitter.com/YuPYSQ2M6u
— Joe Lycett (@joelycett) November 21, 2022
Joe Lycett shreds David Beckham’s reputation
Joe Lycett continued by shredding the June 2002 edition of Attitude, on which David Beckham appears.
He explained it’s the “first ever cover of a gay magazine with a Premier League footballer on it”.
Lycett said he asked Attitude if he could shred it and “they were more than happy to oblige.”
“It’s all been quite a lot this, hasn’t it?” he continued, before concluding the video message by saying:
“Right! I’m off down the gay village for a few pints”
The queer stand-up comedian issued the challenge to Beckham on 13 November, saying if the ex-footballer called off his deal, he would give £10,000 to charity.
The former England player signed a multi-million pound ambassador deal with Qatar for the World Cup, despite homosexuality being a crime in the country.
Those found to have engaged in same-sex relations can be sent to prison, and under Sharia law, the death penalty is possible.
Beckham has long been considered a gay icon and supposed ally of the queer community.
Beckham did not respond to Joe Lycett’s challenge, with the comedian posting a video of him shredding the ‘money’ on Twitter on Sunday (20 November).
