After giving “gay legend” David Beckham an ultimatum regarding his ambassadorship for Qatar, a nation that forbids same-sex unions and has a spotty human rights record, Joe Lycett has destroyed £10,000.
After David Beckham failed to cancel his contentious multimillion-dollar World Cup promotion deal with Qatar, Joe Lycett put his money where his mouth is by spending £10,000 of his own money.
Lycett tossed in the money in two motions, the resulting shreds spilling out of the end of a wood chipper while donning a rainbow-colored ruffled top and noise-canceling headphones to protect his ears.
The 34-year-old celebrity then curtsied to the camera and walked out the left door while maintaining an expressionless expression.
The high-profile stunt-loving Brummie comic issued an ultimatum to the former England player last week via social media, stating that along with the money, Beckham’s “identity as a gay legend will be shredded.”
If Beckham terminated the sponsorship agreement before the competition, Lycett threatened to donate the money to LGBTQ+ groups. He had personally addressed the message to Beckham.
Beckham, though, chose not to publicly acknowledge or react to the demand.
Although it is prohibited in the UK to alter a banknote in any manner (under the Currency and Banknotes Act of 1928), it is not prohibited to destroy a banknote, such as by burning it.
However, if Lycett had burned a similar amount of dollars in the US or destroyed £10,000 worth of coins, he might have been held accountable for his acts because it’s against the law to burn or damage money in the US and the UK after 1969. (according to the Coinage Act of 1971).
The shredding took place in a run-down, brick-walled structure at noon on Sunday, right before the World Cup opening ceremony. Lycett put up a specific website to webcast the event.
Later, he tweeted a video of the incident with the caption “A platform for advancement.”
In the original video where he gave the ultimatum, he was depicted sitting at a desk holding large bills while hailing Beckham as a homosexual superstar and making fun of the fact that marrying a Spice Girl was “the gayest thing a human being can do.”
He then pleaded with Beckham to reconsider his contract with the Middle Eastern nation after going on to say that Qatar was “voted as one of the worst locations in the world to be gay.”
According to rumors, Beckham signed a multimillion-dollar contract with the FIFA World Cup hosts. Lycett estimated the contract’s value at £10 million, but other stories put it as high as £150 million.
Since being selected as the host country, Qatar has received a barrage of criticism, with the nation’s subpar human rights record and ban on same-sex couples posing special difficulties.
Participating in same-sex sexual conduct can result in a prison sentence of up to seven years or perhaps the death penalty in Qatar.
Negative attention has also been directed at the security of migrant workers and the practical difficulties of hosting a football event in the scorching desert.
Lycett posted a message he had sent to Beckham’s PR team three days before the shredding, asking: “Could you let me know if there’s any chance he would move on his position or am I to expect radio silence on this?”
There is still time for David and his team to make the correct decision, the author continues. A photo of the £10k and the red woodchipper he would later use to shred it was also posted by him.
Many people applauded the comedian for bringing awareness of Qatar’s dismal human rights record and the criminalization of LGBTQ+ individuals, but others advised him to donate the money to a food bank rather than shredding it at a time when living expenses are skyrocketing.
Harry Hill, a fellow comedian, wished Lycett well before the debate and promised to “vote with my feet” by not watching any World Cup matches or purchasing any Beckham-endorsed goods.
Beckham has won praise from the public for his unfussy attitude toward paying his respects to the Queen by standing in line for a total of 13 hours. His affiliation with Qatar has received unfavorable coverage, which may now be tarnishing some of the goodwill he has gained.
Stars have previously made news for spending money carelessly.
The electronic band The KLF torched £1 million as performance art in 1994. On the Ardfin Estate on the Scottish island of Jura, Bill Drummond and Jimmy Cauty set fire to the cash, which made up the majority of the money they had previously made through their music.
And just last month, Damien Hirst, the enfant terrible of modern art, burned down millions of pounds worth of his renowned spot paintings after giving customers the option of keeping NFTs or the originals.
The World Cup begins today with the opening ceremony at 2.40 p.m. UK time and the first game, between Qatar and Ecuador, at 4 p.m. UK time.
