Footballer, dad (and People magazine’s sexiest man alive 2015), David Beckham is back on BBC One this Christmas for a special documentary, David Beckham: For the Love of the Game.
Working with Unicef, David travels to seven different continents in 10 days, meeting people, learning about their lives and playing football with them. He plays in a Somalian refugee camp in Africa, ice cold Antarctica (in snow boots, of course), and even at Old Trafford, where Sir Alex Ferguson - who Becks still calls "The Manager" - succeeds in making him nervous even now. Watching the film, Becks particularly impressed us with his command of Spanish and the incredible way he interacts with children - they seem to flock to him.
So with two documentaries under his belt as well as tonnes of special guest performances, we’ve been thinking back to Becks’ many, many great appearances at the BBC…
The time he aced Wimbledon
Not content with getting to the top of his football game all around the world, Becks proved that his skills transcend the sports, after he caught a tennis ball as it went out of play in Wimbledon this summer.
Sitting in the crowd with mum Sandra (aww), this clip captures the moment. And shortly afterwards, it also captures his slight embarrassment at attracting the crowd’s attention. If this clip had honest subtitles, we imagine it would say: “Ah pants. Everyone saw. Time to smile and wave…”
The time he yelped at a snake
Don’t let those tattoos fool you – even David Beckham gets scared sometimes.
While filming Into the Unknown, his 2014 documentary about his backpacking travels through Brazil, Becks’ cool demeanour was momentarily shaken when a snake slithered into his camp. Watch from 00:31 seconds on this clip to hear the fear.
Fun fact: childhood pal Dave Gardner, who stars with Becks here, brings the laughs again in For the Love of the Game.
The time he went all Only Fools and Horses on us
A much-hyped Sport Relief sketch in 2014 saw Becks join wheeler-dealer Derek Trotter and long-suffering little brother Rodney Trotter in a Peckham café, where he once again proved his self-deprecating sense of humour.
Watch to discover why Becks never quite made the move into a big acting career. Er, sorry Becks…
The time he talked about his terrible hairdos
The bowl cut, the braids, the skinhead – David Beckham has proudly sported just about every hairstyle going. But as he told Graham Norton, he wasn’t always thinking about what he was doing…
The best bit about this clip, from February 2015? The fledgling bromance that’s brewing between Becks and Hugh Jackman. Please tell us they now walk their dogs together in LA?
The time he let Smithy pamper him
We always knew he was a well-groomed man, but Becks showed us what really goes into his look in this 2010 Sports Relief sketch. Becks sent himself up by appearing with Smithy (off of Gavin and Stacey), complete with fluffy robe.
Skip to 2:32 to see Becks having his nails done, hair straightened, and showing off his impressive floristry skills. Gosh did we enjoy that wink.
And not forgetting that crucial free kick…
Well you can’t have a David Beckham post without a bit of football, can you?
Yep, we're talking about that moment from 2001, when England played Greece for a place in the 2002 World Cup final. England needed a point to qualify when they were losing 1-2 and going into extra time. In comes David Beckham, with a free kick in the 93rd minute. He steps back – as the world watches him – and confidently curls it into the top corner.
Talk about goosebumps.
David Beckham: For the Love of the Game, is broadcast on Tuesday, 29 December at 9pm on BBC One. The programme will be available in BBC iPlayer for 30 days after broadcast on TV.
Comments made by writers on the BBC TV blog are their own opinions and not necessarily those of the BBC.
