Joe Lycett breaks silence over Qatar gigs backlash despite hitting out at David Beckham | Celebrity News | Showbiz & TV
Joe Lycett has spoken out after he was accused of hypocrisy when it recently emerged he played gigs in Qatar after he shredded £10,000 – which was later revealed to not be real cash – in protest of David Beckham’s association with the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. The comedian took to Twitter to address the renewed controversy, explaining he was paid by “UK comedy promoters” and not Qatar, and that the shows happened back in 2015.
On Monday, an article with the headline: “Joe Lycett played gigs in Qatar and Dubai – despite blasting David Beckham for being paid to go there.”
Reacting to the article, Joe tweeted: “Oops! I’ve been caught out.
“I did two gigs in Doha in 2015 and kept it entirely secret by writing about it in my own book and mentioning it in multiple interviews including with the NY Times!”
The comic went on: “If you’re interested, I was paid a few hundred quid (not by Qatar but by UK comedy promoters) but it was 2015 and that went a lot further back then.
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“I reckon that if a popular comedian from those days (eg Shane Ritchie) had shredded a few hundred quid to persuade me not to go, it would have made a difference. But who can say?”
The comedian also faced criticism from fans on social media, who branded him a “massive hypocrite” and claimed he had attempted to pull a “publicity stunt”.
Jonnyhowells said: “What’s even more embarrassing about Joe Lycett’s ‘stunt’ calling out David Beckham is the fact it was all for his own ego and being made into a television programme.
“Personally I think it’s made him look a fool.”
Joining the choir of critics, Joe shredded £10,000 and revoked Beckham’s status as a “gay icon” after the ex-Three Lions captain did not respond to his ultimatum over ending the contract with Qatar.
Joe later revealed that the money was fake, and he had donated it to LGBTQ+ charities, as same-sex relationships are criminalised in Qatar.
David’s spokesperson responded to the stunt in the comedian’s Joe Lycett vs David Beckham: Got You Back Xmas show, saying: “David has been involved in a number of World Cups and other major international tournaments both as a player, and as an ambassador, and he has always believed that sport has the power to be a force of good in the world.
“Football, the most popular sport globally, has a genuine ability to bring people together and make a real contribution to communities.
“We understand that there are different and strongly-held views about engagement in the Middle East, but see it as positive that debate about the key issues has been stimulated directly by the first World Cup being held in the region.
“We hope that these conversations will lead to greater understanding and empathy towards all people, and that progress will be achieved.”
