THE Beckhams’ fortune, as revealed in The Sunday Times’ Rich List, was in the region of £455 million on the back of advertising deals with the likes of Armani and Adidas. Victoria’s fashion brand has made a profit for the first time in years and it now includes cosmetics and scent. David’s Inter Miami football team has signed up — Lionel Messi, arguably the most famous footballer on earth. The documentary on Beckham was an unexpected, oddly funny, hit. The couple celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary this year.
All this would come as a surprise if you had come to the end of Tom Bower’s The House of Beckham. From the start it reads like a parable of pride coming before a fall, of Vanity Fair, or how a couple from Essex tried to make themselves into a global brand, and failed ignominiously. We learn so much in such detail about their fundamental emptiness, that it feels odd to know that in fact, this uninteresting pair have achieved and, more improbably, sustained a unique marital brand.
Bower is a distinguished biographer, whose books on Tony Blair and Meghan Markle are characterised by forensic and damning detail — once you’ve been axed by Tom Bower, you know you’ve been axed — but the Beckhams feel like an oddly inadequate target for his skills. He could have coined the phrase “follow the money” because that is exactly what he does, but after all the detail about David Beckham’s Byzantine tax affairs all we learn is that he tries hard legally to avoid tax and is an actual cheapskate — the pair are famous for not tipping.
His work for Unicef — he’s very good in engaging with actual people, it seems — may be at least partly to do with his keen ambition for a knighthood (bizarrely he featured in an ad opposing Scottish indepdence), but when he was asked to give the organisation a million quid to kickstart a fundraiser he demurred; rather, he tried to get his travel and hotel expenses from it.
His umpteen alleged infidelities, starting with his time with Real Madrid, reveal that girls would be frisked for recording devices before entering his bedroom and that he was in the habit of hoarding non-disclosure agreements for girls to sign. They still went for it.
His brand ambassadorships ignore a tiny voice; his first ad, for Brylcreem, prudently dropped the vocal part.
As for Victoria, the records of losses for her fashion brand look like a tragedy in numbers and it seems it was only late in the day that she discovered that women liked to dress for bottoms and busts. Her own embonpoint is described in loving detail: it goes out and in depending on how happy she is. Poor woman, she doesn’t actually eat: one mistress revealed that Beckham no longer fancied her because she was too thin. Her morning routine is hilarious. The funniest bits in the book are the fleeting descriptions of her relationship with Meghan, whom she resembles: MM sees her as competition, it seems.
But really, the laugh is on us. How did this unremarkable couple achieve global recognition if not from our desperate wish for role models that celebrate not just glamour and sex but family and commitment? Victoria, now 50, got it when she declared that they are stronger together. Their brand was a compact between them and us: if we didn’t care, they wouldn’t exist.
The House of Beckham by Tom Bower is out now (£22, Harper Collins)
Victoria Beckham had ‘nil’ financial benefit from Meghan Markle wearing her clothes
Victoria Beckham had no financial benefit from having Meghan Markle wear her clothes, an explosive new biography has claimed.
Writing in the newly released House of Beckham, celebrity biographer Tom Bower claims the former Spice Girl’s decision to give the Duchess of Sussex free clothes did not increase sales.
“Victoria agreed to provide a coat, dress, boots and a handbag worth £6,000 to Meghan for the Royal Family’s traditional Christmas Day parade in Sandringham,” he claimed.
“Later, Meghan wore a Beckham custom-made pregnancy outfit and a white coat and dress for a service in Westminster Abbey.
“Victoria’s style also attracted Melania Trump. She wore a Victoria Beckham dress during the president’s official visit to London.”
But despite having two of the world’s most high-profile women wear her designs, other women were not inspired to follow suit.
“But the financial benefit was nil,” Mr Bower added.
Meghan Markle pictured in Victoria Beckham’s clothes at Sandringham (Shutterstock)
However, Ms Markle’s endorsement of the designs – which notably failed to take off at the London Fashion Week, despite Harper Beckham sporting an Anna Wintour-style haircut – was not completely in vain.
“The only success in 2019 was a £1,400 handbag that had been displayed by Meghan,” Mr Bower said. But he added the sales were likely “prompted” by “Victoria’s Instagram video” and not the duchess.
This was not the only eyebrow-raising claim made about the two women in the new book.
Mr Bower claims Ms Markle also “deluded” herself into believing that her status in the royal family put her above Beckham “in the social pecking order”.
“In Meghan’s celebrity world, ranking depended on wealth and fame,” Mr Bower wrote.
He claims that after “putting on airs” around Ms Beckham, Ms Markle was “irritated” to learn the extent of her wealth.
“They owned five homes, had constant access to private jets, invitations to sail on yachts and much more money. And she was soon to be a duchess,” he added.
The Duchess of Sussex was reportedly ‘irritated’ by the Beckhams’ wealth (Getty Images)
The biographer then claimed that the two women’s relationship fell apart when Ms Markle accused the former Spice Girl of leaking information about her to the press. It followed a story in The Sun, which claimed she had given the duchess makeup advice.
Mr Bower wrote: “Harry was ordered to complain to David Beckham.”
The fashionista denied leaking information to the press and speculated it must have come from a beautician, but the biographer claimed “the culprit was probably a boastful publicist”.
House of Beckham was released by HarperCollins on Thursday, 20 June.
The Independent has reached out to a representative for Victoria Beckham and Meghan Markle for further comment.
David Beckham and Victoria Beckham attending the 2015 British Fashion Awards.Anthony Harvey/Getty
A new book published details of David Beckham’s alleged affair with his assistant, Rebecca Loos.
David has been accused of cheating on Victoria Beckham with several women, including Loos.
Here’s a timeline of the scandal and what the couple have said since.
2003: David Beckham is seen with a brunette at a nightclub in Madrid.
David Beckham had transferred to Real Madrid that year.Getty/Ross Kinnaird
The affair scandal began with David Beckham’s move to Madrid to play for the soccer team Real Madrid in the summer of 2003.
In September, a few months after the move, Beckham was spotted on a night out with a mystery brunette in Madrid, the Guardian reported.
The person was later identified as Rebecca Loos, his personal assistant in Madrid.
April 2004: Rebecca Loos accuses Beckham of an affair.
Rebecca Loos was Beckham’s personal assistant for his first few months in Madrid.Don Nicholas / Getty Image
On April 4, 2004, the UK’s News of the World newspaper published a story that alleged Beckham had an affair with Loos, who had since been fired as his assistant.
Later that month, Loos gave a tell-all television interview with Sky News’s Kay Burley in which she said they had first slept together the night they were spotted at the nightclub in September.
“I think the chemistry between David and I was so strong, and people were not happy because I was being very unprofessional and he’s a married man,” she said, adding: “We dropped off the other two people in the car and started kissing quite passionately all the way back to the hotel. It was like magnets, pretty amazing.”
Loos also said in the interview she wasn’t afraid of the Beckhams taking her to court.
“There is something I know about him, an intimate part of his body that I think only women who’ve been in bed with him would know,” she said. “So I think if they did want to take me to court, I could easily stand up and say, ‘Well…’”
In a statement published by the Guardian at the time, Beckham denied the allegations.
“During the past few months I have become accustomed to reading more and more ludicrous stories about my private life,” he said. “What appeared this morning is just one further example. The simple truth is that I am very happily married and have a wonderful wife and two very special kids. There is nothing any third party can do to change this.”
April 2004: More women accuse Beckham of cheating.
Victoria Beckham stood by David Beckham during the scandal.Kevin Winter / Getty Images
Soon after Loos came forward, two more women said they’d also had affairs with the famous soccer player.
On April 11, the model Sarah Marbeck told the News of the World she had an affair with Beckham in July 2001 while the soccer star was in Singapore with Manchester United.
“When we made love David told me, ‘I know what we are doing is wrong, but I can’t help it,’” Marbeck said. “The first time he took me to bed, he kissed me everywhere. I looked down and there was David Beckham kissing my breasts. David Beckham!”
Beckham denied Marbeck’s claims in a statement published by the Guardian at the time.
“This weekend a series of even more absurd and unsubstantiated claims have been published about David and Victoria Beckham,” the statement read. “The couple continue to dismiss these stories and they will not be commenting upon them further at this time. Lawyers have been instructed by David and Victoria concerning these matters.”
A week later, a third woman came forward to the British tabloid The People.
Celina Laurie told the publication she and Beckham had a one-night stand in Denmark in August 2002.
May 2004: Beckham criticizes the Daily Mail and News of the World in his first public interview since the reports.
David Beckham in 2004.Ferdaus Shamim / WireImage
Beckham told BBC Radio 5 Live: “I’ve made it clear that with two papers the way I and my family have been treated is an absolute disgrace because at the end of the day, I’m a nice person and loving husband and father.”
September 2004: David and Victoria Beckham sue the News of the World over affair reports.
The case was eventually dropped in 2006 when the parties came to a settlement.Mike Marsland / WireImage
“The News of the World was given the opportunity to provide an apology but have chosen not to respond to the couple’s request,” lawyers for the couple said in a statement, the Guardian reported.
The case was eventually dropped in 2006 after the two parties came to a settlement, the terms of which were not disclosed.
News Group Newspapers, the publisher of the News of the World, said in a statement: “The defamation proceedings by David and Victoria Beckham against the News of the World have been resolved on a confidential basis. There will be no further comment.”
The News of the World eventually closed in 2011 amid a decline in advertising and scandals involving accusations of hacking into the phones of celebrities, politicians, and victims of crimes.
October 2004: A fourth woman says she hooked up with Beckham.
At the time, Victoria was pregnant with the couple’s third child.Clive Rose / Getty Images for Laureus
Beauty-shop owner Danielle Heath told the Sunday Mirror she and Beckham had performed sexual acts on each other on two occasions in Madrid.
In a statement, the Beckhams denied the allegations.
“We are sick and tired of people trying to make money at the expense of our family. It is even more distressing when we are expecting our third child soon. The allegations are completely and totally untrue, and it is in the hands of our lawyers,” the statement said.
2007: Victoria addresses the rumors for the first time.
This was a year after the lawsuit had been dropped.Ethan Miller / Getty Images
In 2007, Victoria was asked about the affair allegations during a joint interview with her husband for a W Magazine cover story.
“I’m not going to lie. It was a really tough time. It was hard for our entire families. But I realized a lot of people have a price,” she said.
“David and I got through it together. No one said marriage was going to be easy. Yes, there have been bumps along the road,” Victoria continued. “But the fact is we’ve come out of everything we’ve been through stronger and happier. It’s even better now than when we were first married. After all these years, we can just come home and have a laugh together.”
March 2013: Loos says she regrets the way she addressed her alleged affair.
After a stint on TV, Loos settled down in Norway.Justin Goff / UK Press via Getty Images
Almost 10 years after the scandal, Loos appeared on the British daytime television show “Daybreak” and addressed her alleged affair with Beckham.
She said, “I’m a mother now and married, and knowing what I know now I would definitely have gone about things quite differently,” the Metro reported. “I was young and foolish and very reckless. I didn’t think things through and acted on impulse a lot. I think I regret the impact on everybody. I think I could have gone about it in a kinder way.”
Loos added: “I don’t regret speaking out but I regret the way I went about it.”
October 4, 2023: Victoria says that period was “the most unhappy I have ever been in my entire life.”
Mia Regan, Romeo Beckham, Cruz Beckham, Harper Beckham, David Beckham, Victoria Beckham, Brooklyn Beckham, and Nicola Peltz Beckham attending the “Beckham” UK premiere.Karwai Tang/WireImage
In a new four-part Netflix docuseries about Beckham, Victoria described the alleged affair saga as the “hardest period” of their marriage.
“It was the most unhappy I have ever been in my entire life,” she said. “It felt like the world was against us.”
“We were against each other, if I’m being completely honest,” she continued. “You know, up until Madrid sometimes it felt like us against everybody else but we were together, we were connected, we had each other.”
“But when we were in Spain, it didn’t really feel like we had each other either,” she said. “And that’s sad. I can’t even begin to tell you how hard it was and how it affected me. It was a nightmare.”
Asked if she resented Beckham at the time, Victoria replied, “If I’m being totally honest, yes I did.”
In the docuseries, Beckham also addressed how the speculation affected his and Victoria’s relationship.
“There was some horrible stories which were difficult to deal with,” he said. “It was the first time that me and Victoria had been put under that kind of pressure in our marriage.”
Beckham is still unsure how he and Victoria survived that time period.
“I don’t know how we got through it, in all honesty,” he said. “Victoria is everything to me. To see her hurt was incredibly difficult, but we’re fighters and at that time we needed to fight for each other, we needed to fight for our family, and what we had was worth fighting for.”
October 21, 2023: Loos slams David Beckham for “making himself the victim” over their alleged affair.
David Beckham at the Inter Miami CF and Atlanta United FC match at DRV PNK Stadium in Florida, and Rebecca Loos walking through a forest in a photo posted to her Instagram.CHANDAN KHANNA/AFP/Getty Images/Rebecca Loos/Instagram
In a video interview published by the Daily Mail in October, Loos responded to the comments made by the Beckhams in the Netflix docuseries.
Loos said she was completely unaware that the couple had mentioned her in the series, or that the series even existed, until she got a call from a Norwegian journalist.
Loos said: “He’s making himself the victim and making me look like the liar. He’s making me look like I made up these horrible stories, I’m the one that’s made Victoria suffer.”
“He’s the one who decides to lie to her, to say we don’t have to tell my wife. He’s made all those choices,” she added. “If I remain silent, I will be known as the liar.”
Representatives for Beckham and Loos did not immediately respond to Insider’s requests for comment.
June 20, 2024: “The House of Beckham” details Beckham’s alleged affair with Loos.
David Beckham playing for Real Madrid in August 2003 in Madrid, Spain.Shaun Botterill/Getty Images
“The House of Beckham,” written by biographer Tom Bower, was released on June 20, 2024,. It explores Beckham’s alleged affair with Loos, citing various sources, including magazine articles from the early 2000s.
The book claims that Beckham was lonely in Spain after signing with Real Madrid. He reportedly grew close with Loos when they went for drinks, and they started sleeping together soon after.
“In his suite, Loos discovered that ‘David was a sensational lover — the sex was highly charged and explosive. David’s stamina was extraordinary.’ Repeatedly he said, ‘I know we shouldn’t be doing this but I can’t help it. It makes me so happy,’” the book claims.
It goes on: “Loos would add, ‘He’d been going weeks without sex, trying to stay faithful to Posh.’ One exchange in bed that night impressed Loos. ‘You’re so lucky,’ she said. ‘You could have anyone.’”
The book also claims that Loos decided to go public with the alleged affair after she and Beckham went to Madrid’s Hard Rock Cafe one night with other employees from the management company he was signed with.
The next day, a Hard Rock waitress gave Loos a note explaining that Beckham didn’t tip for the service. When Loos passed the note to Beckham, he allegedly gave his assistant money to pay the waitress to preserve his image.
“After reading the note, Beckham was alarmed. ‘Give her this,’ he said, handing over a thick wodge of euros,” the book added.
Loos reportedly told her friend, PR manager Emma Basden, why she decided to go public about the alleged affair.
“Angered by both the secrecy and the abuse of her loyalty she looked for an opportunity to hurt him. Not least because on their first night in bed he said that she was his first secret relationship. ‘I know I will be up against the most powerful family in the world,’ she told Basden.”
June 20, 2024: “The House of Beckham” claims that Beckham used the names of “Peter Pan” characters to be discreet when talking about Victoria Beckham and his alleged mistress.
David Beckham and Victoria Beckham after a Vogue party in May 2002 in New York City.Mark Mainz/Getty Images
“The House of Beckham” also makes claims about Beckham’s alleged affair with Marbeck.
It claims that the soccer star referred to the women in his life using characters from “Peter Pan.”
“In his texts Marbeck was called ‘Tinkerbell’ and Victoria was ‘Wendy’. On 10 August 2001, Beckham had sent a series of explicit texts to Tinkerbell about his sexual fantasies. Asked for a description of underwear he had bought for her, he replied: ‘It is a surprise. It’s very sexy but very filthy,’” the book claims.
It continues with an explicit retelling of a text Beckham reportedly sent to Marbeck about what he wanted to do with her, involving “candles, champagne, chocolate, cream, strawberries and a massive bed.”
The book adds: “Marbeck kept all those text messages. During their two-year affair Marbeck flew to Leeds in March 2002 to watch England v Italy. In a text he urged her to behave ‘discreetly’ because ‘you have to remember Wendy’.”
Representatives for Beckham did not immediately respond to Business Insider’s request for comment.
Cruz Beckham enjoyed a day out with Brazilian singer Jackie Apostel in London’s Mayfair on Wednesday following his split from his girlfriend Tana Holding.
The 19-year-old son of fashion designer Victoria and retired footballer David Beckham wrapped an arm around Jackie’s shoulder during their shopping trip.
Cruz, who is an aspiring singer himself, drove around the capital in his Land Rover Defender.
He put on a casual display in a plain white T-shirt, a pair of dark brown chino trousers and black converse.
Jackie was a member of Brazilian girlband, Schutz, although has since appeared to have gone solo, according to her online accounts.
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Cruz Beckham, 19, enjoyed a day out with Brazilian singer Jackie Apostel in London’s Mayfair on Wednesday following his split from his girlfriend Tana Holding
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The son of fashion designer Victoria and retired footballer David Beckham wrapped an arm around Jackie’s shoulder during their shopping trip
Her Spotify account describes her as ‘a more of a behind the scenes person and has now announced her final single ‘i’, an uptempo reggaeton she has been saving for a while will come out July 1st.’
During an interview with Indie Band Guru in 2019, she said: ‘I think I try to embrace all aspects of pop. I’m not afraid to say I love catchy music, I love easy and repetitive.
‘We have rock records on there, we have a lot of Latin influence. It’s extremely genre-fluid but they’re all big parts of me.’
Jackie also writes and produces song, regularly sharing photos from sessions at Abbey Road Studios on her Instagram.
A source told MailOnline that Cruz and Jackie are ‘not official, just hanging out’.
It emerged Cruz had split from his model girlfriend Tana Holding in October last year after a year-long romance.
He was then pictured with social media influencer Issey Moloney during an outing in London in February.
In March, Cruz was then seen with Norweigan singer Bby Ivy for a family night out in Paris after his mother Victoria’s Paris Fashion Week show.
Jackie bears a strong resemblance to Bby, who’s song Losing Sleep was previously featured on Love Island.
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He put on a casual display in a plain white T-shirt, a pair of dark brown chino trousers and black converse
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Cruz, who is an aspiring singer himself, drove around the capital in his Land Rover Defender
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Jackie’s Instagram account is littered with stunning snaps of the singer
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Jackie (left) bears a resemblance to Norweigan singer Bby Iby (right) who Cruz was seen out with in March
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In one snap, Jackie looked incredible in a blue bikini top and matching skirt
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Jackie also writes and produces song, regularly sharing photos from sessions at Abbey Road Studios on her Instagram
Cruz was first seen with Tana in May 2022, but a source revealed they ended their relationship over the summer last year.
A source told MailOnline: ‘Cruz and Tana quietly split over the summer. They’re very private. It was a teenage romance, but sadly it just didn’t work out.’
Cruz was noticeably solo as he joined the entire Beckham clan for the premiere of David’s Netflix series.
A source told MailOnline: ‘Cruz and Tana quietly split over the summer. They’re very private. It was a teenage romance, but sadly it just didn’t work out.’
Tana, who began dating Cruz in May 2022, failed to join his family on holiday last summer, having been spotted on a summer getaway with them in Italy a year earlier.
The couple were last pictured together at Glastonbury back in June last year.
Cruz was believed to have met Tana in spring 2022, with a source telling The Sun at the time: ‘They make a really lovely couple and she is down-to-earth and really fun. She is not fazed by Cruz’s fame and where he comes from.
‘It is early days but Cruz seems smitten with Tana.’
He was previously in a relationship with Bliss Chapman for 18 months, but they reportedly went their separate ways in March 2022.
David Beckham caused quite the stir on Thursday as he attempted to nip in and out of his local butchers.
The sporting star, 49, dropped by the meat merchant in Notting Hill in an attempt to quickly pick up some dinner but ended up attracting a lot of attention.
A crowd quickly formed around the eatery as fans rushed to get a selfie with the star, with David happily obliging.
The former England captain sweetly posed for snaps with two young fans and chatted with passersby before slipping into his £340,000 4×4 Rolls Royce Cullinan to head home.
That didn’t stop one keen fan, however, who then chased him down the road to get a selfie before running back beaming and showing off his snap.
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David Beckham caused quite the stir on Thursday as he attempted to nip in and out of his local butchers
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The sporting star, 49, dropped by the meat merchant in Notting Hill in an attempt to quickly pick up some dinner but ended up attracting a lot of attention
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A crowd quickly formed around the eatery as fans rushed to get a selfie with the star, with David happily obliging
David was casually clad for the outing, pairing a plain white T-shirt with brown jogging bottoms that he tucked into socks.
The father-of-four added a splash of colour with green trainers and had his various inkings on display.
While David may be one of Britain’s most famous sporting stars, he has been slowly transitioning from the spotlight to farm life.
From growing his own vegetables to beekeeping, and even taking care of chickens, David has swapped the football pitch for a different kind of green space.
The sportsman is living ‘The Good Life’ in the £6million Cotswolds farmhouse he shares with his wife Victoria.
Over the years, and more frequently in recent times, he has shared snippets of what he gets up to at his rural home with his family, following his retirement from football more than a decade ago.
David’s relaxing new way of life, which includes getting excited at his chickens laying ‘lovely’ eggs and showing his followers how to plant a rose shrub, bears hilarious similarities to the 70s sitcom The Good Life.
The light-hearted comedy – which starred the late Richard Briers, Felicity Kendal and Penelope Keith – followed disillusioned designer Tom Good who, with the help of his wife Barbara, abandoned a corporate lifestyle.
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The former England captain sweetly posed for snaps with two young fans and chatted with passersby before slipping into his £340,000 4×4 Rolls Royce Cullinan to head home
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David was casually clad for the outing, pairing a plain white T-shirt with brown jogging bottoms that he tucked into socks
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Driving off didn’t stop one keen fan, however, who then chased him down the road to get a selfie before running back beaming and showing off his snap
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He was delighted to have nabbed a selfie with the professional athlete
David Beckham braves rain, sore throat and poultry in garden
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Green-fingered: David’s relaxing new way of life, which includes getting excited at his chickens laying ‘lovely’ eggs and showing his followers how to plant a rose shrub, bears hilarious similarities to the 70s sitcom The Good Life (Felicity Kendall and Richard Briers pictured above in the show)
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New projects: Over the years, and more frequnetly in recent times, he has shared snippets of what he gets up to at his rural home with his family, following his retirement from football more than a decade ago
From football to plants: David Beckham plants Queen of Sweden Rose
The couple turned their suburban home and garden in Surbiton, Surrey, into a smallholding with livestock and vegetables – sound familiar?
Tom and Barbara were played by Richard and Felicity, with Penelope and Paul as their snooty neighbours Margo and Jerry Leadbetter.
Created by writers John Esmonde and Bob Larbey, the BBC show ran for four seasons, between 1975 and 1978, and made household names of Richard, Felicity, Penelope and Paul Eddington.
Now, it seems the retired footballer has taken inspiration from the show and is stepping further away from the limelight and corporate life to take on a simpler way of living.
In 2016, the family bought a £12 million converted barn in the Cotswolds, which has become a hub for the sports icon’s new projects.
David shocked and delighted fans during lockdown when he revealed his newfound passion for beekeeping.
The ex-footballer fell in love with the hobby during the pandemic and even installed a hive in his garden – often sharing insights into the task with his 87.9 million Instagram followers.
This includes snaps of himself collecting honey from a hive in his garden and even getting his children involved.
In July 2020, Victoria gave fans an insight into family life as she filmed her husband getting to work building bee hives.
The father-of-four was in the zone as he put the hives together in the garden, with Victoria explaining: ‘David decided to start building bee hives. Is that your new project darling?’
David replied: ‘It is. You’ll be very happy when we’ve got our own honey.’
In 2022, he wrote: ‘What a buzzzz, who would’ve thought honey harvesting would become my favourite thing to do. Happy #WorldHoneyBeeDay.’
The star shared a snap of him doing his favourite ‘past time,’ dressed head-to-toe in protective gear.
In another post from 2023, he penned: ‘Be kind and they will be calm. The Sweet Life,’ alongside an image of him tending to his bees.
Last year, he even gifted King Charles a jar of his homemade honey, and last week won official recognition from the King by becoming an ambassador for his charity.
And beekeeping was only the beginning – David has since ventured into the world of keeping chickens, fishing, growing vegetables, and a host of other outdoorsy pursuits.
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Country life: The sports star fell in love with beekeeping after installing a hive in his garden during lockdown
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Busy bee: In another post from 2023, he penned: ‘Be kind and they will be calm. The Sweet Life’
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Country living: David Beckham’s post-retirement ‘Good Life’ has been likened to the British 70s sitcom
David Beckham gets his hands dirty while gardening with Victoria
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Pictured: David and Victoria Beckham’s lavish £6.15million Cotswold estate in Oxfordshire
His flock of fowl have become recurring characters on the former sports star’s social media, after installing a chicken and turkey coop in May.
In one video he shared to update fans on the new additions, the retired footballer was trailed by a small flock of hens and game-birds while showing off some of the neatly plotted land surrounding the homestead.
David was gifted the birds as a Christmas present by his wife and has since set up a hen pen for the new animals on their sprawling estate.
He collected his first egg from the chickens in March, after travelling to their Cotswolds home to check in on his flock.
He later took to Instagram on to share the moment he found his first egg after spending hours researching on how best to encourage his hens.
‘I’ve come to check if there’s any eggs because I haven’t actually been here to see and witness the first egg so I’m back now and let’s have a look,’ he told followers.
‘They were laying on top, I did a little research and changed a few things up so guess what? This is the first time that they’ve laid in there which is very exciting.’
David Beckham very excited to find his chickens laid an egg
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David brushed up on his hen-keeping skills after his wife Victoria gifted him his own flock
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Adorable! David’s flock of fowl have become recurring characters on the former sports star’s social media, after installing a chicken and turkey coop in May
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Exciting: He collected his first egg from the chickens in March, after travelling to their Cotswolds home to check in on his flock
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Farmer David: The star’s flock of domestic fowl were seen trailing him out of their coop
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Eggxellent: ‘And guess what they laid a lovely blue egg,’ he wrote in one post
David Beckham shares video with his chickens during Christmas holiday
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In one episode of The Good Life, Tom and Barbara secure a flock of chickens
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Back in 2021, the Beckhams were also given the green light to build a ‘barn for bats and birds’
Other snaps taken at his Cotswolds farmhouse show David making a Sunday dinner with his mother and daughter Harper, and cooking up a storm in the kitchen – making a leek pie for his family.
David also shared a snap of the homemade mulled wine he was making at Christmas time.
As well as upping his culinary skills, the England legend tends to a vegetable plot at his home – something he involves his children in.
Captioning a post in November 2023, he quipped: ‘And so the organic farming begins with my little helper.’
He beamed as Harper, 12 at the time, embraced him after tending to a vegetable plot outside the rural bolthole.
Explaining the next steps on their new green project, the star wrote ‘Quick check on my Bee’s then over to the,’ as he added a slew of vegetable emojis, from broccoli to garlic to carrots – suggesting they have big plans for their organic plantation.
Cooking up a storm: Other snaps taken at his Cotswolds farmhouse show David making a Sunday dinner with his mother and daughter Harper, and later a leek pie for his family
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David also shared a snap of the homemade mulled wine he was making at Christmas time
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Bonding: Captioning a post in November 2023, he quipped: ”And so the organic farming begins with my little helper’
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The Good Life, which starred the late Richard Briers, Felicity Kendal and Penelope Keith, followed disillusioned designer Tom Good who, with the help of his wife Barbara, abandoned a corporate lifestyle
Continuing their relationship with the wildlife aorund them, in 2021 the Beckhams were given the green light to build a ‘barn for bats and birds.’
West Oxfordshire District Council granted David and Vicroria the approval they needed to move forward with their re-landscaping plans in the gardens of their £6.15million Grade II-listed country mansion.
They promised to construct ‘a new native hedgerow planted to link the hedgerows together to create a wildlife corridor’ and the new building will provide ‘new roosting and nesting opportunities for bats and birds.’
On Monday, David updated his followers on his journey into the world of gardening, while treating himself to a can of Stella.
The videos racked up over one million likes, as people hailed the star the ‘gardening influencer we never knew we needed’ and shared their desire for him to get his own TV show.
On Saturday, David shared a video of him planting a Queen of Sweden rose shrub, as his wife Victoria, 50, gave him words of encouragement.
The star sportsman’s fans were quick to give him pointers on where he was going wrong, prompting him to share another video the next day planting a second rose shrub – and thanking supporters for their tips.
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A big catch: Fishing is another outdoorsy hobby that David has taken on post-retirement
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Beaming: David Beckham treated himself to a can of Stella while planting roses on Instagram on Sunday – as fans begged the BBC to give him his own gardening show
USMNT legend Landon Donovan swapped the field for the golf course at the LPGA’s Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions earlier this year, and, while he may be used to competing on soccer’s biggest stage, he admits to feeling nerve-wracked on the first tee.
But while Donovan may have felt the first-tee nerves, he claims the USMNT should have no fear ahead of the Copa America in their own backyard this summer.
Argentina and Canada kicked off the tournament when they collided at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia Thursday night with the United States playing hosts across eight different states ranging all the way from West to East Coast.
The likes of World Cup champions Argentina and nine-time Copa America winners Brazil stand in the way glory for the Stars and Stripes.
But Donovan, who earned 157 international caps throughout his career, believes Gregg Berhalter’s young side can take on anyone in their way of home triumph this summer – even Lionel Messi.
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USMNT legend Landon Donovan claimed that the Stars and Stripes should be fearless
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The former soccer star spoke to DailyMail.com at the LPGA’s Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions
‘Messi is a phenomenal player but he is getting older,’ Donovan tells DailyMail.com at Lake Nona, Orlando, during the LPGA’s season opener.
‘All of our players now play against or with these guys everywhere in the world, so they’re not intimidated.
‘They just went through a World Cup together, where they got good results against hard teams. They will not fear anybody at the tournament. There’s no reason why they can’t win.’
The Copa America serves as a dress rehearsal for the USA’s greatest soccer spectacular – the World Cup.
But Donovan claims the USA shouldn’t be treating the Copa America as a mere trial run.
As a co-host of the 2026 tournament with Canada and Mexico, the USMNT does not have to go through qualifying and Donovan insists that piles even more pressure on this summer.
‘It’s crucial. You have the Gold Cup next summer, but it’s not this level of competition,’ he says. ‘This is their last chance to play really meaningful games.
‘They’re going to take it very, very seriously as they should. If I’m going into it as a player, I’m thinking like this is like a World Cup – every game should be that intensity.’
Donovan and the importance he places on ‘meaningful games’, especially when it came to his beloved LA Galaxy, caused somewhat of a rift with one of soccer’s greatest.
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The USA clinched a 1-1 tie against Brazil in their final game before the Copa America
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Donovan insisted that the USMNT shouldn’t fear any team – not even Lionel Messi’s Argentina
David Beckham joined MLS’s LA Galaxy in 2007 on a widely publicized five-year, $32 million deal that was originally reported to be worth as much as $250 million.
But after a loan spell at AC Milan in 2008, Beckham was dragging his heels about returning to the US for another MLS season, leaving his Galaxy teammate Donovan infuriated.
The American became the first of Beckham’s teammates to really publicly criticize him at the time and more recently, revisited his frustrations during Manchester United legend’s Netflix series, saying, ‘Even though it’s a s***ty little MLS team that he doesn’t really care about… it meant a lot to me.’
Donovan backtracks slightly when asked about his clash with the former England captain, showing a little more understanding towards his ex-teammate.
‘I don’t know if that’s the word I should have used,’ Donovan chuckles, looking bashful, ‘but you have to look at it through his eyes. He came from Real Madrid and Manchester United, where he was always on basically the best team on the field 95 percent of the time. Then he comes to an MLS team that’s in last place.
‘Their facilities? Not the same. Their fan engagement? Not the same. The quality of football? Not the same. The attention was the same, but that’s because he was there. That would have been a shock to his system.
‘At the time I was frustrated but now I give him a lot of grace because that was a really hard transition. And ultimately, he decided to commit to it and ended up being successful.’
But Donovan clarifies that Beckham never actually gave any public inclination but claims he could read between the lines due to the former England captain’s pride.
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Messi kisses the trophy after beating Brazil 1-0 in the 2021 Copa America final
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Donovan is pictured with former LA Galaxy teammate David Beckham (right) in 2011
‘I actually didn’t get that vibe speaking to him or the way he was acting,’ he says. ‘I could just tell that as loss after loss after loss piled up.
‘He’s proud, right? He had been successful at everything he’d done, and he’s one of the most famous people in the world. So when he’s losing and losing, that’s frustrating. So, I think his inclination, which would probably be most of ours, was to pull back a little bit, and disassociate.’
Donovan doesn’t hold Beckham – or his pride and success – responsible for the locker room tension either, admitting that the Galaxy wasn’t delivering enough to satisfy its star player.
‘We weren’t holding up our end of the bargain in the MLS and our team,’ Donovan admits. ‘We needed to hold up our end of the bargain and we did eventually, but at first I can understand why it was frustrating.’
Donovan and Beckham went on to win the 2011 and 2012 MLS Cups with the former scoring the game’s only goal in their first final victory, set up by Robbie Keane and, of course, Beckham himself.
Whatever frustrations Beckham was feeling on and off the field, they clearly didn’t seep into the public consciousness.
Now dubbed the ‘Beckham Effect’, his arrival in MLS in 2007 marked the first revolution for the American league since its creation in 1996.
But whatever impact Beckham had on MLS as a player, it doesn’t compare to what he’s done as an owner.
And in Donovan’s eyes, with the capture of Messi, Beckham has one-upped anything he could ever do as a player as he was the only one who could ever lure the World Cup winner to the US.
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The American claimed that Beckham’s move to the Galaxy was a shock for the Englishman
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Donovan credits the former England captain for luring Messi to MLS
‘It was hard to quantify his impact when he came,’ he claims. ‘There were actual data points that you could measure, like attendance, sponsorship, dollars, etc. But you couldn’t quantify all the little kids we would see in the stadium watching soccer for the first time when he came to LA. And that’s the same with Messi.
‘Beckham had this incredible legacy in Major League Soccer, that accelerated MLS and then he goes and doubles down and one-ups himself and brings in Messi.
‘Make no mistake, there was only one team Messi would go to. And that was Miami because David was there. David has that kind of impact on people.
‘So even when there were a few tough years in the beginning, he has had an overall massive, massive positive impact.’
Brooklyn Beckham wants to become a dad credit:Bang Showbiz
Brooklyn Beckham has “always wanted to be a young dad”.
The 25-year-old star dreams of having children in the coming years, and he’s particularly keen to go travelling with them one day.
Brooklyn – who is married to actress Nicola Peltz – told PEOPLE: “I’ve always wanted to be a young dad, and I always want to be able to take my kids wherever I go. So it’s definitely something I want to pass down to my kids.”
Brooklyn – who is the son of David and Victoria Beckham – and Nicola tied the knot in Palm Beach, Florida, in April 2022.
Nicola, 29, previously admitted that time has flown since she walked down the aisle.
The actress – who played Bradley Martin in the hit drama series ‘Bates Motel’ – shared: “Everyone is always like, ‘Oh, what does being married feel like?’ This is genuinely how I feel.
“I feel like when you’re on a sleepover or a play date, and it’s like, ‘Oh, can they sleep over again?’ And you just are on a never-ending sleepover play date. That’s how we feel.”
Brooklyn previously revealed that he’s eager to become a dad.
However, the former soccer player – who has also dated the likes of Chloe Grace Moretz and Madison Beer – acknowledged that Nicola might wish to wait a little longer to have children.
Speaking to PEOPLE in 2022, Brooklyn explained: “I could have had kids yesterday.
“Obviously it’s my wife’s body, but I’ve always wanted to have a bunch of kids around. That’s something I really want to do. And my dad was young when he had me. He was 23.”
Tom Bower’s new book – “House of Beckham: Money, Sex and Power” – is brimming with scandal. But will the unauthorised biography really pierce the “golden armour and dismantle the Beckham machine”, asked Katie Rosseinsky in The Independent. Given their “staggeringly slick” PR machine, it is a big ask.
The book comes off the back of a recent Netflix documentary, “Beckham”, that offered a “stage-managed insight” into David and Victoria’s relationship that was filled with “endearing off-duty snippets”, said Rosseinsky. These included the iconic clip of Victoria describing her “working-class” background before David pops his head round the door to reveal she used to be driven to school in a Rolls-Royce.
Following his series of “bombshell” books about the royals – the latest is titled “Meghan, Harry and the War Between the Windsors” – Bower has shifted his gaze to “Britain’s other royal family”. But while it “strains to be explosive”, it ends up falling short, “like delving into a Wikipedia recap that re-treads old territory”.
Tabloid fodder
Perhaps the biggest issue with Bower’s book, said Zoe Williams in The Guardian, is that many of his most juicy “revelations” are already tabloid fodder. “ChatGPT could have done the whole thing faster, with the prompts: David Beckham – erection – sun lounger.”
“Nothing here feels new,” said Hannah Betts in The Telegraph. Stories from the papers are “regurgitated”: David is “stingy” and “squeaky-voiced”; Victoria is a “tuneless, furious-faced WAG” whose clothing brand is a “much-puffed vanity project”.
There are, however, “moments of magic” peppered sporadically throughout. Bower claims Victoria behaves so “capriciously” during her 2007 NBC documentary “Coming to America” that her exasperated team are said to have “chorused”: “So tell me what you want, what you really, really want.”
A ‘devil’s bargain’
Bower portrays their relationship as a “devil’s bargain”, said Betts, rather than the “happy-families image” that their PR machine trades off – yet “the narrative is oddly flat”.
His “overarching argument”, said Rosseinsky in The Independent, is that the marriage has, at times, been “little more than a mutually beneficial business arrangement” – something that “hardly feels like a novel thesis”.
And yet, said Hilary Rose in The Times, Bower can’t deny that, after more than two decades together, the Beckhams are “still standing”. They might not have lived “happily ever after” but on 4 July, just like they do every year, the couple will post “loving tributes” to each other as they celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary.
Despite the alleged affairs and the all-night arguing, said Williams in The Guardian, “they must, on some level, really like each other”.
Victoria Beckham has been hailed as a ‘comedic genius’ after poking fun at her ‘working class’ background in a new Super Bowl commercial.
Last year the former Spice Girl, 49, starred in the Netflix documentary series Beckham alongside her husband David.
In one stand-out moment, Victoria, who was known as Posh Spice during her time in the girl group, got a telling-off by her husband after he overheard her speaking to cameras about her family’s apparently humble beginnings.
Speaking to the interviewer, Victoria said: ‘We’re very, very working class.’
Opening a door and poking his head into the room, David urged his wife to ‘be honest’ before forcing her to share her dad owned a Rolls Royce, which can cost upwards of £252,000.
The couple have now recreated the exchange for an Uber Eats ad, which will air in full during the Super Bowl on February 11.
Victoria Beckham has been praised for poking fun at herself in a new Super Bowl commercial (Picture: Victoria Beckham/ Instagram)
In the teaser,Victoria is wearing a T-shirt that declares: ‘My dad had a Rolls-Royce.’
In the 35-second clip, they have a similar interaction to the one in the documentary with Victoria telling the camera: ‘David and I are going to be in a little commercial.’
David then appears from behind a wall to tell his wife to ‘be honest’.
She continues: ‘Okay, it’s a big commercial’, before her husband tells her to reveal more.
Victoria then reveals that the commercial will air during the ‘big baseball game’, actually referring to the Super Bowl, which is the National Football League’s annual championship game in America.
They then jokingly mistake the game again, saying it’s the ‘hockey bowl’ they’ll feature in.
In it, she and husband David recreate a moment from their Netflix series (Picture: Victoria Beckham/ Instagram)
David then urges her to share details ‘about Jessica Aniston’, seemingly in reference to Friends star Jennifer Aniston, to which his wife says: ‘Jessica Aniston is going to be in it too.’
The video ends with the words: ‘Whatever you forget this Sunday, remember Uber Eats.’
Fans thought the ad was hilarious, with Nicole Michalik commenting on Instagram: ‘Whoever came up with this deserves a raise.’
‘Victoria Beckham = comedic genius,’ user Spice Girls Net shared.
The couple have been hailed ‘national treasures’ (Picture: Victoria Beckham/ Instagram)
Another user, mcgowancherish, added: ‘You two are a national treasure and must be protected at all costs. Oh, and Jessica Aniston, too.’
Others labelled the pair ‘iconic’ and ‘so much fun’.
The ad comes two months after Victoria decided to first capitalise on the public’s love for their hilarious chat.
In November the fashion designer posted a photo of herself wearing a white shirt to her social media accounts and wrote ‘available now’ with a link to her website.
Last year the former Spice Girl said she had a ‘working class’ background (Picture: Netflix)
The slogan top read: ‘My Dad Had A Rolls Royce’.
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Victoria Beckham has her grown-up children’s baby teeth laying around her house
Sharing a video as well, Victoria said she had to embrace her background and had released a product to mark the occasion.
‘I can’t fight it anymore, yes my dad drove me to school in a Rolls Royce! Kisses David Beckham xx Shop the exclusive Slogan T-Shirt now!’ she wrote, whilst also sharing a clip of their exchange from the series.
Get paid to live on this idyllic European island – but there’s a catch
Retailing for £110, the plain white tee ranges in sizes from XS to XL.
It’s no secret that David Beckham is rolling in cash thanks to his status as a footballing legend and heartthrob but his company is also dishing out hefty payslips.
While he may have admitted he was ‘jealous’ of wife Victoria recently, we’re jealous of whichever employee landed the eyewatering sum of £10,000,000.
DB Ventures, one of Becks’ many businesses, forked out the cool multimillion-pound paycheck to an undisclosed mystery person in 2022.
‘Golden Balls’ himself is worth $450 million (£370 million) combined with his Spice Girl wife but it’s unknown if he was the recipient of this huge payout.
The accounts, as seen by The Mirror, reveal that it was the highest-paid director of DB Ventures who took home the pay – but the company declined to name who that is.
Along with the Manchester United icon, Jamie Salter and Nick Woodhouse also serve as directors at the company so one of these three men took home the gold.
The Man U legend could have received the paycheck (Picture: Instagram/davidbeckham)
He has numerous business ventures including a new fragrance line (Picture: @cassblackbird/Instagram)
‘I’m afraid we won’t be disclosing who the highest-paid director is,’ a spokesperson for the 48-year-old legend told the publication.
The hefty payout was reportedly five times more than the combined salaries of the other 23 employees in the company.
This is just one firm in Beckham’s DRJB Holdings Limited empire, which is a ‘full-service global brand management operation’.
Whoever the lucky director is isn’t receiving this yearly as the payout was up 384% on the previous year, with the company turnover doubled to £72m in 2022.
The same year, Beckham reportedly sold a 55% stake in the firm to Authentic Brands for £200m.
For any business which falls outside DB Ventures, the former England captain has Seven Global, which made an £8.4 million profit through partnerships with Adidas, Tudor and Safilo.
Posh and Becks are worth over £360 million together (Picture: Victoria Beckham/Instagram)
Victoria’s company has had a boost thanks to an eyeliner (Picture: Victoria Beckham/Instagram)
Victoria is also having a stellar year with her companies, as one £30 product has literally caught TikTok’s eye.
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Victoria Beckham has her grown-up children’s baby teeth laying around her house
The Satin Kajal Liner, which comes in 16 colours, has been flying off the shelves so fast the company is struggling to keep up with the demand.
Since her fashion label launched in 2008, it has been in the red but a more positive forecast was given by her main financial backer, David Belhassen, who said the brand was expecting to turn a profit.
Accounts are published this month but it’s believed Posh’s revenue is up almost 50% to £58 million, partly thanks to the boom of the beauty range first launched in 2019.
With all these businesses, we’re sure the Beckhams were able to repair damage caused last month by Storm Henk at their £12million home in the Cotswolds.
