Joe Lycett may not have been at this year’s TV Baftas, but he was still responsible for one of the night’s stand-out moments.
During the ceremony, a special episode of the comedian’s consumer affairs show Joe Lycett’s Got Your Back, which dealt with the saga involving Joe and footballer David Beckham last year, scooped the award for Best Features.
While Joe was not there to accept the award in person, one of his Got Your Back colleagues read out a speech on his behalf.
“I’m sorry I’m not checking my phone, but Joe sent a message so I’m going to read it out,” he began, continuing: “Joe says, ‘I’m sorry I can’t be with you, but according to my PR team I have shingles’.”
This appears to be a nod to This Morning host Holly Willoughby, who recently missed a week of shows, stating at the time she was suffering with the same condition.
Holly was referenced in another of the night’s key moments, when hosts Romesh Ranganathan and Rob Beckett poked fun at last year’s so-called “queuegate” drama.
At the end of Joe’s speech, there was apparently a bit “that I can’t say because it’s rude”, concluding: “I’d like to dedicate this to the people that are still being oppressed in Qatar, this is for them, really.”
Towards the end of last year, Joe issued a public ultimatum to David Beckham over the former England striker’s ambassadorship role with Qatar during the 2022 World Cup.
Joe threatened to destroy £10,000 of his own money unless Beckham pulled out of his deal with the World Cup host country, where homosexuality is illegal.
He appeared to make good on his threat when Beckham did not publicly respond, but later insisted the stunt was faked, instead donating the sum of money to LGBTQ+ charities.
Beckham eventually responded to the comedian in a statement in which he said he saw it as “positive” that debate about “key issues” had been “stimulated” by the tournament being held in Qatar.
