Joe Lycett appears to have shredded £10,000 after David Beckham failed to respond to the ultimatum given to him by the comic to pull out of his role as a Qatar ambassador.
The comedian and presenter issued the ultimatum to the former England footballer on Monday after it was reported he had signed a £10 million deal with the FIFA World Cup hosts.
The contest kicks off today at 4pm in Qatar – where homosexuality is still illegal and anyone found participating in same-sex, sexual activity can be punished with up to seven years in prison.
After David and his reps failed to respond to Joe’s very public request, the comic stuck to his promise and livestreamed him appearing to destroy £10,000 in cash at midday on Sunday on www.benderslikebeckham.com.
Dressed in a tulle jacket in Pride colours and safety goggles, a solemn looking Joe appeared at midday on the livestream to collect the pile of notes from a table in front of a shredder before throwing the cash into the machine.
The website benderslikebekham.com appeared to crash within seconds of Joe appearing.
In his original video message directed at the former England captain, Joe commended him for always talking about “the power of football as a force for good” but said Qatar is “one of the worst places in the world to be gay”.
He told him: “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.”
David or his reps have still yet to respond.
There was a mixed response from fans after Joe had shredded the cash on Sunday after many had previously urged him to donate the money to a food bank or charity at a time when the cost of living is soaring.