Comedian Joe Lycett has less than 24 hours until he must decide whether to stick with a pledge to shred £10,000 if David Beckham doesn't abandon his role as an ambassador to Qatar. Lycett has offered to donate the sum to LGBTQ+ charities if Beckham ends the sponsorship before the tournament begins this weekend - but, if the former England footballer refuses, he has promised to "throw the money into a shredder" at midday on Sunday (November 20).
Beckham has reportedly signed a £10million deal with the FIFA World Cup hosts. Homosexuality is still illegal in Qatar and anyone found participating in same-sex, sexual activity can be punished with up to seven years in prison.
Lycett unveiled the deadline last week in a video message posted on social media. He said he would livestream himself shredding the money along with Beckham’s “status as gay icon”.
