Channel 5’s Dan Walker has defended David Beckham after he was accused of queuing to pay his respects to the Queen lying in state to boost his ‘exposure’.
The former England footballer queued for 13 hours with the general public after first joining the snaking line at 2am and remained firm in his view that he should queue.
The father-of-four was clearly overcome with emotion as he reached the Queen, appearing watery-eyed as he bowed his head to the monarch’s coffin.
Former BBC Breakfast presenter later praised David on Twitter, writing: “Fair play to David Beckham for joining the queue. Twelve hours plus apparently to pay his respects.”
However, one user strongly disagreed, prompting Dan to come out in support of the star, as the user wrote: “Had to show his face didn't he, any chance of exposure.”
Dan then replied: “Have a word with yourself, Chris. He's been there since 2am this morning. If he wants headlines he pops to the chippy in his PJs.”
Countless other Twitter users defended Becks, as one penned: “Nice one David and to all the other famous people who have waited patiently.”
Another commented: “Well done to David Beckham and to Susannah Reid who both queued for hours to pay their respects to Her Majesty The Queen while some so called 'celebrities' jumped the queue.”
While a third declared: “Pity all other so called celebrities didn't do the same.”
Beckham, who splits his life between England and the United States, had aimed to bypass the huge waiting time by joining the queue in the early hours of the morning - only to later realise that was an error.
He said: "I thought by coming at 2am it was going to be a little bit quieter. I was wrong. Everybody had that in mind."
Beckham, 47, was spotted with tears in his eyes as he paid his respects to the Queen when he was finally able to see the monarch lying in-state on Friday.
The former Manchester United and England star, who had previously been honoured by the Queen, also told ITV : "A special moment I'll always remember is receiving my OBE. I took my grandparents with me, who were the ones who brought me up to be a huge Royalist and a fan of the royal family. To step up, I have my wife there as well, to get my honour and to speak to Her Majesty.
"To ask a question. I was so lucky to have a few moments like that in my life. To be around Her Majesty. We can all see the love that is being shown how special she was and the legacy that she leaves behind. It's a sad day but it's a day for us to remember the incredible legacy that she's left."
