Joe Lycett reveals he didn’t shred £10,000 in David Beckham World Cup protest

Published

3 years ago

November 21, 2022

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Joe Lycett has revealed that he didn’t shred £10,000 in a livestreamed stunt on Sunday, and has instead donated the money to LGBTQ+ charities.

The comedian, who is known for his high-profile stunts, had pledged to shred £10,000 of his own cash if David Beckham failed to end his controversial multimillion-pound World Cup promotion deal with Qatar ahead of Sunday’s first match.

When Beckham failed to respond, or acknowledge the ultimatum in any way, Lycett had appeared to carry out his promise, livestreaming himself dropping £10k into a wood-chipper on a website titled BenderLikeBeckham.com.

However, on Monday the 34-year-old posted an admission in a short video on social media, calling the stunt “an empty threat designed to get people talking”, adding that, like the football star’s controversial ambassadorship, it was “total b******* from the start”.

Calling this his “last message to David Beckham” he jokingly labelled himself, “that p**** who shredded loads of money in a cost of living crisis”.

He went on to explain: “I haven’t quite told you the whole truth… Because the truth is, the money that went into the shredder was real, but the money that came out was fake.

“I would never destroy real money. I would never be so irresponsible. In fact, the £10,000 had already been donated to LGBTQ+ charities before I even pressed send on the initial tweet last week.”

Directly addressing Beckham, he went on: “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 b******* from the start.”

In his initial ultimatum, Lycett had warned that along with the money, the former England star’s “status as a gay icon” would also be shredded if he didn’t end his relationship with Qatar.

Proving the point, he went on to shred the famous David Beckham cover issue of Attitude – the first ever front cover of a gay magazine to feature a Premier League footballer.

Lycett said he had asked Attitude for permission to shred it, and that the publication had said “they were more than happy to oblige”.

He then placed the June 2002 edition into a paper shredder propped up on bricks – not the industrial wood-chipper he had used for his initial stunt – and watched Beckham’s face disappear into the machine.

It has been reported that Beckham signed a multi-million-pound deal with the FIFA World Cup hosts, which Lycett said was 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 poor human rights record and ban on same-sex relationships proving particularly problematic.

In Qatar, participating in same-sex sexual activity can be punished with up to seven years in prison, or even the death penalty.

Lycett ended his video, which was filmed in the same dingy room as his money shredding livestream the day before, by saying it had “all been quite a lot this” and that he was “off down the gay village to have a few pints”.

World Cup kicks off – Qatar take on Ecuador as fans celebrate start of event

As with his initial stunt, which divided opinion (some saying it was immoral to destroy money when so many were in financial crisis, and others highlighting that Lycett was raising awareness for important issues), the revelation that the money had not actually been shredded has again given cause for debate.

Some called the comedian’s actions “attention seeking”, saying his admission had proved them right in confirming it was all a publicity stunt and reflecting that a star as big as Beckham would be unlikely to be bothered by Lycett’s antics.

Others however labelled him “an icon” and “a legend”, with one fan saying: “In a world of David Beckhams, be a Joe Lycett.”

One social media user, responding to a post saying “knew it was a publicity stunt”, replied: “A publicity stunt that got people talking about an important issue and resulted in charities getting £10,000. Works for me.”

Another joked that Lycett should be nominated for Sports Personality Of The Year.

UK

Reform took advantage of the PM’s holiday – and it’s clear he’s now changed strategy

Published

5 hours ago

September 2, 2025

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Reform took advantage of the PM's holiday - and it's clear he's now changed strategy

Immigration was the first thing on the government’s agenda to kick off the first week back from recess, and they wanted you to know it.

The home secretary gave an update to the House, announcing a shakeup of family reunion rules for asylum seekers, even before some backbenchers had made it back to parliament from their break.

Facing criticism for being on the back foot after a summer of protest outside asylum hotels, they were keen to defend their record and get back on track – but is it too late?

It’s a clear nod to the political void Reform UK has seized on while the prime minister has been on holiday.

Last week, Nigel Farage unveiled his party’s mass deportation policy – though the issue of women and children still seems to be worked out.

But perhaps none of that matters as voters overwhelmingly believe Reform cares about this issue – and as Chris Philp, the shadow home secretary, pointed out on Monday, voters have lost confidence in the government somewhat to solve what many see as an immigration crisis on their doorstep.

So it’s clear the strategy has changed from the government.

Gone are the bold slogans of “smashing the gangs” and instead, detail and policy was given on Monday. It was nothing new, but more substance on what the government has done and where they want to move to. Even controversially, reassessing their relationship with the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR).

The biggest update though, was on their one-in-one-out policy agreement with France, which will now set to start returns later this month.

It’s finally hit home for the government that the public want proof not just rhetoric, and they want to know crucially when they will start to see change.

But the fightback, the reset, whatever the government wants to call it, will only make a difference once that finally starts to work.

UK

Police ask for help with unsolved murder more than 50 years ago

Published

5 hours ago

September 2, 2025

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Police ask for help with unsolved murder more than 50 years ago

Police are asking for help with an unsolved case, 52 years after the murder of a schoolboy in Belfast.

Brian McDermott was 10 when he disappeared from Ormeau Park on Sunday 2 September 1973. His remains were recovered from the River Lagan almost a week later.

Detectives from the Police Service of Northern Ireland’s Legacy Investigation Branch have given a timeline of events as part of their appeal.

Brian left his home on Well Street in the lower Woodstock Road area of east Belfast at around 12.30pm and failed to return for his Sunday dinner.

Detectives said he was last seen playing alone in the playground between 1pm and 3pm that afternoon.

His remains were recovered in the water, close to the Belfast Boat Club.

A PSNI spokesperson said: “We are acutely aware of the pain and suffering that Brian’s family continue to feel, and our thoughts very much remain with the family at this time.

“Despite the passage of time, this murder case has never been closed and I am hopeful that someone may be able to provide information, no matter how small, which may open a new line of inquiry, or add a new dimension to information already available.

“It is also possible that someone who did not volunteer information at the time may be willing to speak with police now. Legacy Investigation Branch Detectives will consider all investigative opportunities as part of the review into Brian’s murder.”

UK

Premier League flexes its financial muscle in record-breaking transfer window

Published

5 hours ago

September 2, 2025

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Premier League flexes its financial muscle in record-breaking transfer window

The transfer window was a show of strength in a record-breaking summer across the Premier League.

The totaliser crept over £3bn in spending, with more than half of it flowing among the 20 clubs rather than having a redistributing effect across Europe.

The start of new Premier League TV deals – the biggest individual source of income being from Sky News’ parent company Comcast – provides certainty for the next four years, while rival leagues can struggle to sell rights.

And the feared threat from Saudi Arabia has not materialised. It is an attractive and lucrative destination for some players, but not yet the ultimate destination.

But the kingdom has still influenced this transfer window.

Let’s start with Newcastle, four years into their ownership by the Saudi sovereign wealth fund.

Having secured a return to the Champions League, bringing UEFA riches, this was the summer to grow rather than lose talent to rivals.

But the Premier League’s pecking order became clear when Alexander Isak pushed for a move to Liverpool and rejected bids that did not deter his ambitions.

Player power won out.

The 25-year-old striker was able to withdraw himself from the squad, miss the opening three matches of the season, and put out a statement claiming promises had been broken by the Magpies.

Liverpool ‘loading up on talent’

And so he held on until deadline day, biding his time, sitting it out, and standing firm. Newcastle folded, accepting £125m – £20m lower than their apparent valuation.

Breaking the British record fee was Liverpool’s American ownership flexing financial muscle like never before.

The Premier League champions allowed manager Arne Slot to build from a position of strength.

This was the second time they broke the record in this window after bringing in another forward, Florian Wirtz, in a £116m deal.

More than £400m in reinforcements arrived at Anfield in a matter of weeks.

Former Liverpool managing director Christian Purslow told Sky Sports: “Liverpool are making hay while the sun shines, going for it. Really loading up on talent.

“Other clubs should be fearful and respectful of the way [Fenway Sports Group] are running their club.”

The Isak deal weakened their Champions League rivals from the North East after banking £57m from another club owned by the Public Investment Fund when Darwin Nunez was offloaded to Saudi.

And PIF funded Chelsea’s summer spending spree in less obvious ways.

The Blues did negotiate a £44m package with PIF-backed Al Nassr deal for Joao Felix, recouping the fee paid just a year earlier.

But then there was the £90m prize money collected for winning the new FIFA Club World Cup – a competition bankrolled by PIF subsidiaries.

Where does this leave Newcastle? Still spending around £250m.

Players and Liverpool couldn’t get all their way this summer, with Marc Guehi forced to stay at Crystal Palace after the FA Cup winners failed to secure a replacement for the England centre-back.

The late drama was just the latest of the summer transfer window’s twists and turns.

Both Arsenal and Manchester United also spent more than £200m each. The Gunners spent big in pursuit of a title that’s eluded them since 2004, while the Red Devils are just trying to get back into the Champions League.

It added up to a new record total outlay that comfortably eclipsed the previous Premier League record of £2.46bn from 2023.

The £3bn is more than the rest of Europe combined, showing both where the power is in world football and why the Premier League is the one the world wants to watch.