Netflix documentary hit: David Beckham did what Prince Harry couldn’t – accepted the blame
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle scored a massive own goal with their ‘poor us’ doco. But their one-time mates Posh and Becks have scored with their own Netflix offering.
David and Victoria Beckham’s Netflix documentary hits it in the back of the net, compared to Harry and Meghan’s, which ultimately scored an own goal.
In fact, the new series, Beckham, is a masterclass in how to make a compelling documentary.
You might be forgiven for thinking the Beckhams have nothing left to reveal, considering they share their lives with their joint 115 million Instagram followers.
But it turns out David and Victoria have plenty to say and the Netflix series has earned rave reviews from critics around the world. The UK Telegraph calls it a “superb, unexpected, complex portrayal.”
The pair tackle everything, from David’s fall from football grace, to his affair.
Victoria and David Beckham attend the Netflix ‘Beckham’ UK Premiere in London, England. Picture: Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images
Much like Arnold Schwarzenegger in his Netflix doco, Arnold, David turns out to be eminently watchable, relatable, reflective and honest. All of which Harry and Meghan hoped to achieve in their documentary, Harry & Meghan.
The biggest difference is David never really blames anyone else, despite suffering many injustices in his treatment by managers, the public and press; whereas the takeaway from Harry and Meghan’s tell-all was everything was someone else’s fault – their family, the press, the British public.
Harry and Meghan’s Netflix docuseries was long on blame and short on introspection. Picture: Supplied
“I never really did well at school, I wasn’t intelligent, believe it or not,” David says, yet he shows a lot of emotional intelligence and good humour, throughout the four-parter, while Harry still seems, simply, bitter.
Despite having to cope with what Victoria described as, “public bullying to another level,” David shows immense grace about his experience.
After his red card in the England v Argentina quarter-final in the 1998 World Cup, which saw him sent off and the team subsequently drop out of the tournament, everyone – including then England manager Glen Hoddle – blamed him. He was booed on the pitch and an effigy of him hung from a pub.
“The whole country hated me. Hated me,” he says.
Becks and Posh pose on the red carpet, Picture: AFP
But his biggest concern was hurting his parents. “It brought a lot of attention that I would never wish on anyone, let alone my parents and I can’t forgive myself,” he says, conceding, “I was the one (who) made the mistake.”
He says he still “beats himself up about it”, 25 years later.
Revelations of Beckham’s affair almost ended his marriage.
David and Victoria Beckham on their wedding day.
It was the same with the 2004 revelations of his affair with assistant Rebecca Loos, in Madrid, which almost ended his marriage to Victoria. “To see her hurt was incredibly difficult,” he says, “but we’re fighters … and what we had was worth fighting for.”
“It was the hardest period for us because it felt like the world was against us,” Victoria says, speaking about it for the first time.
“And here’s the thing, we were against each other, if I’m being completely honest.”
It’s this honesty which pulls you in – you can’t deny they are a likeable, down-to-earth couple, despite their luxury lifestyle.
“I like nice stuff,” David says, guilelessly.
As to what happened between them and their Netflix stablemates and former friends, Harry and Meghan, whose wedding they attended, they’re not saying.
However, it’s interesting that out of the two documentaries, only one had big names lining up to appear in it, including Anna Wintour.
Clue: it was the one with golden balls, not the one who made a golden balls-up.
