Joe Lycett has withdrawn £10,000 in cash ready to shred tomorrow if he doesn’t manage to convince David Beckham to end his ambassadorship for Qatar.
The comedian, 34, has promised to shred the cash – which he has apparently taken out entirely in £5 notes – at midday on Sunday unless the footballer ends the partnership he has with the Arab country to promote tourism.
David, 47, had faced criticism for becoming the face of Qatar tourism ahead of this year’s World Cup, despite its human rights issues.
He was reportedly set to make £10million for his ambassadorship, with his advert promoting tourism in Qatar being released in September.
David, and other stars and commentators who have flown to Qatar to take part in activities tied to the World Cup, have faced heavy criticism, due to its treatment of gay people and women.
Homosexuality is illegal in Qatar and is punishable by imprisonment, women also face a severe lack of rights and more than 6,000 migrant workers have died since the country was awarded the World Cup 10 years ago.
In an open message to David, Joe had told him he would donate £10,000 of his own money to charity if the footballer ends his partnership with Qatar, or shred it if he doesn’t.
Dubbing David a ‘gay icon’, he urged him to use his influence to make a stand, saying: ‘This is a message to David Beckham. I consider you, along with Kim Woodburn and Monty Don, to be a gay icon.
‘You were the first premiership footballer to do shoots with gay magazines like Attitude, to speak openly about your gay fans, and you married a Spice Girl which is the gayest thing a human being can do.
‘But now it’s 2022 and you’ve signed a reported £10million deal with Qatar to be their ambassador during the Fifa World Cup. Qatar was voted as one of the worst places in the world to be gay – homosexuality is illegal, punishable by imprisonment, and if you’re Muslim, possibly even death.’
He continued: ‘You have always talked about the power of football as a force for good, which suggests to me you have never seen West Brom. But generally, I agree – so with that in mind, I’m giving you a choice.
‘If you end your relationship with Qatar, I will donate ten grand of my own money (that’s a grand for every million you’re reportedly getting) to charities that support queer people in football.
‘However, if you do not, I will throw the money into a shredder at midday next Sunday, just before the opening ceremony of the World Cup and stream it right here. Not just the money, but also your status as gay icon will be shredded.
‘Also, you’ll be forcing me to commit what might be a crime. Although even then, I reckon I’ll get off more lightly than I would if I got caught whacking off a lad in Doha. The choice is yours. I look forward to hearing from you.’
David is yet to respond to Joe or comment publicly, but Joe’s deadline to shred £10,000 will run out at midday tomorrow.
Got a story?
If you’ve got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@metro.co.uk, calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we’d love to hear from you.