As controversy continues to swirl around World Cup hosts Qatar, and with the tournament due to begin next Sunday, British comedian Joe Lycett has said he will give £10,000 to charities that support gay people in football if David Beckham pulls out of a reported £10 million deal to act as an ambassador for the event.
If Beckham does not, Lycett said he would put the money through a shredder and livestream himself doing so ahead of the opening ceremony.
Qatar’s record on human rights and gender and LGBTQ+ equality has been in the spotlight in the run-up to the World Cup. Homosexuality is illegal in the Gulf state and LGBTQ+ campaigning is outlawed.
In a video posted over the weekend, Lycett — whose credits include Channel 4’s Joe Lycett’s Got Your Back and Travel Man — addressed Beckham, calling the former England captain, “a gay icon,” and said, “You have always talked about the power of football as a force for good… So with that in mind I’m giving you a choice.
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