Comedian Joe Lycett faces hypocrisy storm as it emerges HE performed in Qatar, despite blasting David Beckham for his World Cup role… and ‘downplayed’ regime’s anti-LGBT laws in his memoir
- Joe Lycett has been accused of hypocrisy for playing shows in Qatar and UAE
- The comedian has recently campaigned against David Beckham and Qatar
- He even faked shredding £10,00 to try and stop Beckham from supporting Qatar
Joe Lycett is embroiled in a storm of hypocrisy accusations after it emerged he had played several shows in Qatar and the Middle East, despite his recent campaign against David Beckham for supporting the Qatar World Cup.
The comedian called former England player Beckham a ‘disgrace’ for promoting Qatar before and during the World Cup without mentioning its anti-LGBTQ laws and human rights abuses.
Mr Lycett threatened to shred £10,000 of his own money if Beckham did not end his publicity campaign for Qatar, and even posted a video of himself ‘shredding’ the cash on social media.
He later revealed that he had not actually destroyed any money and had instead donated the £10,000 to LGBTQ charities.
Comedian Joe Lycett ‘shredded £10,000’ in a video posted on social media in a campaign to end David Beckham’s support for Qatar
Former England footballer David Beckham promoted Qatar ahead of the World Cup this year
However, Mr Lycett was paid to perform a number of shows in Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, The Sun reported.
He wrote in his 2017 autobiography, Parsnips, Buttered, that he had played the gigs, while poking fun at the countries’ anti-LGBTQ laws.
He said: ‘I was performing stand-up in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Qatar.
‘Friends of mine had warned me about travelling to these countries, claiming that ‘they don’t like’, as one friend put it, ‘your lot’.
‘The punishment for homosexuality in these countries is oft jail, the logic of which I’ve never understood. Oh, you like men? We’ll put you in a box with some’. Not exactly a punishment, lads!’
Joe Lycett referred to playing a number of shows in Qatar and the United Arab Emirates in his 2017 autobiography
A number of fans responded to Mr Lycett’s criticism of Beckham and the Qatari regime by accusing him of hypocrisy.
One said: ‘I don’t understand why you are so angry as I remember seeing you perform here in Qatar at the Radisson Blue at the Laughter Factory!
‘You didn’t seem to have a problem taking Qatari money that night?’
Another said: ‘Many people sharing Joe Lycett’s publicity stunt shaming David Beckham.
‘In 2015 he performed stand-up in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Qatar. By all means feel free to criticise David Beckham, but don’t be a hypocrite about it.’
Joe Lycett’s representatives were contacted for comment.
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