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Tweet from shredding Joe Lycett: "Empty threat"
Photo: Joe Lycett / dpa
British pop duo The KLF made headlines when the two members burned £1 million in £50 notes on August 23, 1994 while getting themselves shot for a documentary.
A British comedian may have been alluding to this when he appeared to be throwing £10,000 through a garden waste shredder in protest at former England football team captain David Beckham's decision to accept a role as Qatar's ambassador for the 2022 World Cup.
Qatar has been criticized for its treatment of migrant workers, women's rights and queer people.
Comedian Joe Lycett announced last week that he would donate the money to a good cause if Beckham cuts ties with the World Cup organizers in Qatar before the games start.
Otherwise he will shred the £10,000.
On Sunday, Lycett was filmed wearing a rainbow-colored suit, apparently putting two stacks of £5 notes into a shredder.
(Here you can see the video ).
But on Monday, he admitted it was all a fake: he didn't actually shred the money, but donated the sum to an organization that supports LGBTQ+ people. "It was an empty threat to start a conversation," Lycett said .
Joe Lycett is known in the UK as a presenter and as a participant in numerous TV shows.
Lycett temporarily officially renamed itself Hugo Boss in 2020 in protest of name lawsuits from the fashion company.
The 34-year-old has repeatedly alluded to his bisexuality and pansexuality in his stand-up programs.
In his ultimatum, Lycett noted that Beckham was a "gay icon."
The former Manchester United and Real Madrid star was the first active soccer player to be photographed for the cover of gay lifestyle magazine Attitude.
Now, in the video explaining his dizziness, Joe Lycett put the 2002 magazine issue with the Beckham cover in a shredder.
David Beckham has not yet commented publicly on the ultimatum and its outcome.
feb/Reuters