Former soccer star and style icon David Beckham took the stage at a London industry conference to share his nerves about filming his Emmy-winning documentary Beckham and to express admiration for his wife, Victoria.
Beckham kicked things off by presenting Jane Featherstone, founder and co-CCO of production company Sister Pictures, with a jar of homemade marmalade.
“I made this for our 25th wedding anniversary,” Beckham explained, referring to his wife, former Spice Girl Victoria. “The label is called ‘Sticky Vicky’.”
Reflecting on the documentary, Beckham admitted, “I had to feel uncomfortable to make the documentary we did.”
The series, which aired on Netflix, chronicled his career and his highly-publicized life, including his time as a footballer for Manchester United and his relationship with Victoria. The documentary received critical acclaim upon release.
Beckham described the emotional experience of watching the premiere: “It was quite emotional… I knew if I was going to make it, I was going to make it once… It was really difficult,” he said about the process.
“It took me a long time to come to terms with making it, but there were a few reasons why we wanted to.
During the pandemic, documentaries really exploded, and with the 10-year anniversary of my retirement coming up, I thought: ‘Maybe this is the right time.’”
He also revealed that both he and Victoria were apprehensive about the project: “I can’t lie, it worried me, it made me nervous, it made Victoria nervous.
As much as people think they know everything about us, they don’t. We don’t usually open the doors to our private life, but I knew it was the right time.
I wouldn’t say I hated the process, but it was very difficult. In the end, we loved the results, but we discussed things in my career that I had never spoken about before.”
When asked whether Victoria was taking notes for her upcoming Netflix documentary, Beckham quipped, “Do you know my wife?” prompting laughter from the audience.
He went on to praise her: “She’s an amazing woman — strong, driven, passionate. She’s gone from being a Spice Girl to being highly respected in a very tough industry.”
Beckham highlighted Victoria’s dedication: “She’s worked hard for the last 17, 18 years on her business, and now she’s having the success she deserves.
No one really sees the amount of work she does; she’s involved in every single detail, from what people wear to every aspect of her business.”
Convincing Victoria to participate in the documentary process was challenging, he admitted. “Once again, it was hard to convince her, but she was a big part of the process at Netflix.
It’s an exciting time because she’s going to do something very special, and people will finally see her personality and her work ethic.”
Beckham also shared his plans for his content production company, Studio 99, which played a pivotal role in the Netflix documentary. “I’m very proud to be here today,” he said.
“Setting up the studio was something I always had in mind after I retired. Not to control what we put out there, but because I’ve always enjoyed the creative process. After retiring, I made two documentaries, Into the Unknown and For the Love of the Game, and I loved it.”
He continued, “Making 99 about Manchester United was a special moment for us as fans and players. Then we worked on Save Our Squad, which I loved making.”
