British comedian Joe Lycett shreds £10,000 over 'gay icon' David Beckham's controversial 2022 FIFA World Cup deal
British comedian Joe Lycett has shredded £10,000 after David Beckham failed to back out of his ambassadorial role with Qatar at the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
Lycett had threatened to wreck thousands of pound notes if Beckham, who he dubbed as a gay icon, did not pull out of his role at the FIFA World Cup.
In Qatar, homosexuality is illegal and anti-LGBT abuse is routine.
The punishment for male homosexuality in the country is a prison sentence of up to three years and a fine.
Muslims who are found to be homosexual face the death penalty.
Beckham's deal with Qatar to be an ambassador is reported to be worth an astounding £10 million.
Lycett said that if the former Manchester United midfielder stepped down from the role, he would donate the £10,000 to charities that support queer individuals in football.
The former England captain failed to respond to Lycett's deadline of Sunday, 20 November, which was the day that Qatar kicked off their World Cup campaign.
They suffered a 2-0 defeat to Ecuador, becoming the first host nation in World Cup history to lose.
Lycett took to a live stream on the website benderslikebeckham.com.
The Brit emerged wearing a tulle top in the colors of the LGBTQ+ flag and earmuffs to shred the money.
The video shows the comedian taking the £10,000 and sending it through a shredder.
Around 14,000 people are said to have watched the stream with mixed reactions.
Some deemed it iconic, while others suggested it should have been sent to charity either way.
“A platform for progress” https://t.co/EeMelv01nu
David Beckham had claimed that staging the FIFA World Cup in Qatar is a platform for progress
David Beckham said that the FIFA World Cup in Qatar was a platform for greatness despite the massive backlash it has received.
The England great spoke at the Supreme Committee’s “Generation Amazing” youth festival in Doha on Thursday in a pre-recorded video.
He praised the organization of the event, saying (via the Daily Record):
"Qatar dreamed of bringing the World Cup to a place that it had never been before, but that it wouldn’t be enough just to achieve things on the pitch - the pitch would be a platform for progress.”
David Beckham has regularly featured in promotional videos for the tournament .
Lycett had attempted to have the former Three Lions captain back out of his role as ambassador but ultimately failed to even get a response.
benderslikebeckham.com 🌈 https://t.co/EPLVNwmnvV
Beckham also added:
"Almost two decades ago a small group of football lovers from Qatar had an equally fantastic dream: that they could bring the greatest football show on earth to their home country and to the Middle East for the very first time."