Comedian Joe Lycett has shared a video on social media admitting that he did not shred £10,000, but instead donated the money to LGBTQ+ charities following his ultimatum to former footballer David Beckham. Lycett had previously posted on social media saying he would shred the money if Beckham didn’t back down as an ambassador for the FIFA World Cup in Qatar. David Beckham had come under fire as he had signed a deal reportedly worth £10 million with Qatar to be the ambassador for the controversial World Cup. Qatar has been ranked as one of the worst countries in the world for LGBTQ+ rights, and Beckham has on previous occasions been viewed as an ally of the movement. As the deadline for Lycett’s ultimatum passed, the Birmingham comedian posted a video on social media of him, dressed in a rainbow tulle jacket, throwing two piles of money into a shredder, before walking off set. The video has caused controversy, as fans said it was disrespectful to shred that amount of money while many people around the country are struggling to pay their bills. On Monday, however, Lycett posted yet another video, starting with: “This is my final message to David Beckham. It’s me, that p***k who stressed loads of money in a cost of living crisis.” Admitting that the money coming out of the shredder was indeed fake, Joe continues the video saying that the money had already been donated to LBGTQ+ charities before he had even posted the initial tweet telling Beckham of the ultimatum. He continued: “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.” He then continues the clip by shredding a copy of Attitude Magazine from July 2002, on which David Beckham is on the cover. The edition is the first ever gay magazine to feature a Premier League player on it. Stonewall, one of the UK’s leading LGBTQ+ rights organisations, replied on Twitter, saying: “We are very proud to be one of the LGBTQ+ charities mentioned! Thank you SO much @joelycett for supporting our work towards LGBTQ+ equality and inclusion in sport #RainbowLaces”
