Joe Lycett has been counting down the hours until he shreds £10,000 of his own money at midday today unless David Beckham ends his controversial multi-million-pound deal with Qatar to promote the World Cup.
The Brummy comedian posted an ultimatum on social media last week, warning the former England star that along with the cash, Beckham‘s “status as a gay icon will be shredded”.
Lycett unveiled the deadline in a message directed to Beckham personally, saying he would donate the money to LGBTQ+ charities if the sports star ended the sponsorship deal ahead of the tournament.
In the minute-and-a-half video, which shows Lycett sat at a desk with wads of cash, he praises Beckham as a gay icon, joking that marrying a Spice Girl is “the gayest thing a human being can do”.
Going on to explain that Qatar has been “voted as one of the worst places in the world to be gay”, he appeals to Beckham to rethink his deal with the Middle East country.
It has been reported that Beckham signed a multi-million-pound deal with the FIFA World Cup hosts, which Lycett says is worth £10m – but other reports have put as high as £150m.
Qatar has faced an onslaught of criticism since being chosen as the host nation, with the country’s human rights record and ban on same-sex relationships proving particularly problematic.
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In Qatar, participating in same-sex sexual activity can be punished with up to seven years in prison, or even the death penalty.
The safety of migrant workers and the logistics of holding a football tournament in desert heat have also attracted negative attention.
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Beckham is yet to publicly acknowledge or respond to the ultimatum, prompting Lycett to share a message to Beckham’s PR team asking: “Could you let me know if there’s any chance he might budge on his position, or am I to expect radio silence on this?”
He added: “There’s still time for David and his team to do the right thing.”
He also shared a picture of the £10k and the red woodchipper he will use to shred it.
Lycett has set up a dedicated website to livestream the shredding, which he says will take place at midday, shortly before the World Cup opening ceremony.
There has been a mixed response to the comedian’s pledge to destroy the money, with some praising him for raising awareness of Qatar’s poor human rights record and criminalisation of LGBTQ+ people, while some have urged him to donate the money to a food bank rather than shredding it at a time when the cost of living is soaring.
Comedian Harry Hill commented on Lycett’s pledge on social media, wishing him luck and saying he would be “voting with my feet” and not watching any of the World Cup, or buying any products endorsed by Beckham. For good measure, he added: “I will not be plucking my eyebrows.”
Sky News has contacted Beckham’s and Lycett’s representatives for comment.
The World Cup kicks off today, with the opening ceremony at 2.30pm UK time, and the first match at 4pm UK time, with Qatar playing Ecuador.
Rapper Ghetts has pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving.
The 41-year-old also pleaded guilty to driving dangerously before the fatal collision shortly after 11.30pm on 18 October.
The musician, whose real name is Justin Clarke-Samuel, appeared for a hearing at the Old Bailey via videolink from Pentonville prison, wearing a green polo shirt.
Yubin Tamang, 20, a student from Nepal, died two days after being hit by Clarke-Samuel’s BMW M5 in Redbridge Lane, Ilford, northeast London.
Ghetts, a two-time Mercury Prize nominee and MOBO winner, has been in custody since a preliminary appearance at Barkingside Magistrates’ Court on 27 October.
He will now be sentenced in February.
The rapper was first nominated for the prestigious Mercury Prize in 2021, for his third album Conflict Of Interest. His second nomination for his fourth album, On Purpose, With Purpose, in 2024.
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This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly.
British drama Adolescence has seen its lead stars all nominated for Golden Globe awards.
The drama, starring Stephen Graham, depicts the aftermath of the stabbing of a teenage girl, as a 13-year-old boy from her school is arrested for her murder. It was one of the most talked-about shows of the year.
Image: Young Owen Cooper is up for best supporting actor. Pic:Netflix
Graham, along with Owen Cooper, Ashley Walters and Erin Doherty are all up for gongs. It follows a host of wins at the Emmys in September.
Receiving five nominations in total, the Netflix limited series was only beaten by HBO’s White Lotus, which got six nods, coming top in the TV category.
Cynthia Erivo was nominated for her role in the Wicked sequel, Wicked For Good, while British stars Gary Oldman, Helen Mirren and Aimee Lou Wood also got recognition for their roles in Slow Horses, Mobland and The White Lotus, respectively.
Mirren will also be awarded one of the Globe’s two lifetime achievement awards, the Cecil B DeMille Award, announced a few days before the ceremony in the New Year.
Emily Blunt picked up a surprise nomination for her role in The Smashing Machine, opposite Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson – who also got a nod for the sports biopic.
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Tessa Thompson was recognised for her role in Hedda, a modern re-telling of Henrik Ibsen’s classic play.
Irish stars Paul Mescal and Jessie Buckley were both nominated for Hamnet, the adaptation of Maggie O’Farrell’s book about William Shakespeare and his wife Agnes. The movie isn’t out in the UK until January.
Image: Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo at the London premiere for Wicked: For Good
Image: Ryan Coogler (L) and Michael B Jordan at the Sinners premiere. Pic: AP
Films, TV – and podcasts
Unlike other awards, the Globes cover both TV and film and are split by genre, falling into either the drama or comedy and musical category – meaning a wealth of nominees are in the running.
This year, there are 28 categories.
In the film category, One Battle After Another, starring Leonardo DiCaprio, led the nominations with nine, followed by Norwegian comedy-drama Sentimental Value with eight, and vampire horror Sinners with seven.
Image: Leonardo DiCaprio in a scene from One Battle After Another.
Pic: Warner Bros/AP
KPop Demon Hunters continued its world domination with three nominations – best animated film, cinematic and box office achievement and original song – making an Oscar nod further down the line look more and more likely.
New to this year’s nominations is a category for podcasts. Selected from a long list of the 25 most-listened to shows, Good Hang With Amy Poehler, Armchair Expert With Dax Shepard and Call Her Daddy were among the casts that made the cut.
Sarah Jessica Parker will be honoured with the Carol Burnett Award.
Now in comeback mode, the Globes had previously faced criticism over a lack of diversity in the organisation, which led to the event being held behind closed doors in 2022.
The 83rd Golden Globes ceremony will take place in LA on 11 January, and will be hosted by US comedian Nikki Glaser for the second year running.
This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly.
Former Radio 1 DJ Tim Westwood has pleaded not guilty to four counts of rape, nine counts of indecent assault and two counts of sexual assault.
The 68-year-old arrived at Southwark Crown Court on Monday, wearing a black hooded jacket, a maroon shirt and dark trousers.
Westwood stood with his hands clasped in front of him as he confirmed his name, before sitting down in the glass dock.
He is alleged to have raped women, kissed them and touched their bodies without consent.
The offences are said to have taken place against seven different women between 1983 and 2016.
Three of the alleged indecent assaults are said to have taken place at the BBC studios in the 1990s.
Westwood was granted bail, with the condition not to contact the complainants ahead of a pre-trial review hearing, scheduled for next December.
Last month, Westwood returned to the UK from Nigeria to appear in court.
He has attended five police interviews voluntarily since the investigation into the alleged offences began.
Westwood has previously denied all allegations of sexual misconduct made against him.
The charges
Charges against Westwood include an allegation of rape against a woman at a hotel in London in 1996, one count of rape from the early 2000s at an address in London, and two counts of rape at an address in London in the 2010s.
He is further accused of four indecent assaults in London in the 1980s, three indecent assaults at the BBC in the 1990s, and two indecent assaults in the early 2000s.
The former DJ is also alleged to have sexually assaulted a woman at a nightclub in Stroud, Gloucestershire, in 2010, and faces a second sexual assault charge against a woman at a music festival in London in the 2010s.
Westwood began his broadcasting career in local radio before joining Capital Radio in the late 1980s.
He moved to the BBC in 1994, working on Radio 1 and Radio 1Xtra for almost 20 years.
After leaving the BBC in 2013, he then joined Capital Xtra, hosting a regular Saturday show where he was referred to as “The Big Dawg”, before he left the company in 2022.
The trial is set to take place on 25 January 2027.