Joe Lycett accuses David Beckham of only being an LGBTQ+ ally 'while it helped him'

Joe Lycett has accused David Beckham of only being an ally to LGBTQ+ people while it helped his brand, as he said he is still waiting to hear back from the footballer over his World Cup protest stunt.

Comedian Lycett had previously pretended to shred £10,000 in protest at the World Cup being held in Qatar where it is illegal to be gay, and criticised Beckham's deal to promote the contest despite Qatar's abysmal human rights record.

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He later admitted that the money had been fake and that instead he had donated the same amount to LGBTQ+ charities.

Appearing on Lorraine on Friday morning, Lycett said that he still felt disappointed in Beckham and was hoping they could have a conversation about it, adding that he had previously been a "brilliant ally" to the LGBTQ+ community.

He said: "For him to now take an extortionate amount of money from a state where it’s illegal to be gay, I would be jailed if I was there, if you’re Muslim there you could face the death penalty for being gay, it’s a real betrayal of what he’d done."

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Lycett, 34, added that he felt there were plenty of other brands at fault too in previously having marketed themselves as allies and then advertising or sponsoring at the World Cup, including Budweiser and McDonalds.

He said: "There’s a lot of brands and people who do this, they pretend to be allies until it doesn’t help them, but he’s emblematic of it.

"I thought I might be able to convince him to change his mind and then that might convince the Qataris to change."

Lycett said he was still hoping for a call from Beckham: "I’ve not heard anything from him but I would still love to speak to him.

"I’m very polite and a very nice young man! Hopefully we’re having more discussions with his people, and hopefully we’ll get somewhere with that.

"I’m holding out hope, there’s still time for him to change his mind. The World Cup is not yet finished."