David Beckham ‘happier than ever' at 50 with two of his biggest achievements
David Beckham is turning 50 surrounded by his nearest and dearest this week, and despite previously saying he's 'not bothered' by the milestone birthday, he's 'as happy as he's ever been'.
Since his early days at Manchester United and later going on to marry Posh Spice and start a family, the former footballer's personal life and businesses are going from strength to strength as he prepares for another year of upcoming projects.
David, who is worth a reported £350 million, will be spending the big day with his family, who he sees as the 'biggest achievement' in his life.
A source close to the Beckham family told Metro: 'David is feeling good about turning 50.
'His family and his work are his biggest achievements in life. The hard work he's always put in over the years is paying off and he's as happy at 50 as he's ever been.'
Wake up to find news on your TV shows in your inbox every morning with Metro's TV Newsletter.
Sign up to our newsletter and then select your show in the link we'll send you so we can get TV news tailored to you.
For the former England player and wife Victoria, who are parents to Brooklyn, 26, Romeo, 22, Cruz, 20, and Harper, 13, seeing their children grow up and come into their own has brought them 'boundless elation'.
The source added: 'Brooklyn, Romeo, and Cruz are following their own successful careers, and he gets to spend lots of precious time with Harper.'
And despite claims of a 'family feud' after Brooklyn and his wife Nicola Peltz were absent from his early birthday celebrations last month, it's clear that David is happiest when he's surrounded by his children.
Fans of David and Victoria caught a heartwarming glimpse into their 26 year marriage in his 2023 Netflix series Beckham, which detailed everything from their difficult move to Spain in 2003, to a viral moment of him calling his wife out for claiming to be 'working class' as a child.
There's plenty more insight into the couple's lives to come, with David's production studio, Studio 99, set to release a documentary series following Victoria and her fashion and beauty empire coming later this year.
It's not just his family life that David has to be proud of, his career is well and truly at its best, with plenty of projects on the go – some relating back to his love of football and some he holds incredibly close to his heart.
The insider added: 'Inter Miami CF is going from strength to strength, and he's recently launched some of his biggest campaigns in years – like his Bodywear campaign with Hugo Boss or his hilarious series with Matt Damon – who plays his long lost brother – for Stella Artois.
'Now more than ever he wants to spend time doing what matters to him – being with his family, continuing to build his businesses, and charity work.'
For David this year also marks 20 years that he's been a Goodwill Ambassador for UNICEF, for which he was awarded the Crystal Award at the World Economic Forum. He has also launched a fundraising appeal for UNICEF to help the most vulnerable children around the world.
The source continued: 'As he turns 50, he wants to continue to focus on advocating for young women and girls to have equal rights which is work he has focused on with UNICEF for many years.'
And 50 could be the year David receives a knighthood, with reports claiming King Charles is 'particularly enthralled' by him and that he's 'ticked every box' to help his bid to become Sir Beckham. More Trending
The pair have seemingly forged a friendship over the years, with David even gifting the King his infamous homemade honey (named DBee'z Sticky Stuff) when they met at the British Fashion Awards in 2023.
A close friend of the star told MailOnline: 'Wouldn't it be wonderful if it happened this year as David turns 50?
'How perfect would that be.'
Got a story?
If you've got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@metro.co.uk, calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we'd love to hear from you.
MORE: Netflix viewers rush to binge 'gripping' sci-fi series racing up chart
MORE: David Beckham kicks off 50th birthday with wild party and late night swimming
MORE: Netflix series scores 10,000,000 views in 4 days despite 'infuriating' ending
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mirror
32 minutes ago
- Daily Mirror
Sam Thompson shares worrying Soccer Aid health update after brutal challenge
Former Made in Chelsea star Sam Thompson, who suffered an injury during his charity mission, is preparing for Soccer Aid this weekend Sam Thompson is putting all of his energy to 'play a part' in Soccer Aid after pushing his body to its absolute limits in the name of charity. The former Made In Chelsea star, 32, recently finished his five-day challenge, during which he raised money for Unicef and smashed the £1 million mark. He could barely walk, let alone run or cycle, after tearing his calf, but was determined to make it all the way to the finish line. Just a few kilometres from the end of day one's marathon, Sam felt a pop in his calf. He pushed through the pain, torrential rain, and mental struggles as he finished the gruelling challenge. Thankfully, his famous friends lifted his spirits on the journey from Chelsea's Stamford Bridge to Manchester Utd's Old Trafford to deliver a match ball ahead of the Soccer Aid game this Sunday. Sam is also meant to take part in the match this weekend, so he has focused on getting healthy in order to 'play a part' on the big day. Taking to his Instagram Stories, Sam shared his routine ahead of the game. Along with a picture of himself getting into a cold plunge, he wrote: "Trying to get those legs right for soccer aid!! I WILL play a part," along with a laughing emoji. The star revealed to the Mirror how there were talks about him being 'medically discharged' last Monday because of his debilitating injury. He revealed: 'I was crying into my physio's arms on day one, because I was just so terrified that I was going to be that guy who took this on and got medically discharged. "They were talking about doing that but I was like 'no'.' The star suffered a full rip of his calf muscle towards the end of the first marathon. Opening up about the full scale of injury, he said his leg 'completely gave up' at one point. 'I just got into a fast hobble and that just about worked,' he admitted as he crossed the line with donations to UNICEF hitting a staggering £1,516,433.22. Sam was delivering the Soccer Aid for UNICEF match ball from last year's stadium, Stamford Bridge, London, to the home of this year's match, Old Trafford, Manchester. The total distance was 261miles. He went on to add: "I'm on double codeine and paracetamol…I am not going to lie, it hurts a lot.'
Daily Mirror
32 minutes ago
- Daily Mirror
Sam Thompson and Louis Tomlinson to meet up this weekend after brutal dig
Made In Chelsea star, Sam Thompson, is playing on the same team as his ex Zara McDermott's new boyfriend, Louis Tomlinson, for Soccer Aid at Old Trafford this weekend Sam Thompson is about to get up close and personal with his ex's new man, Louis Tomlinson, after admitting he was 'blindsided' by the One Direction star. Zara McDermott split up from the Made In Chelsea alum in January and is now dating pop icon, Louis, who is playing on the same team as Sam for Soccer Aid this weekend. One Direction fans were shocked when Zara moved on with Louis, with Sam making a sly dig about the relationship shortly after the news went viral. Hinting that Zara may have moved on too soon, he said: "I suppose a lot of people look for validation in other people right? And they look for the next person instantly because it's like 'I need to find someone else to fill that hole and I need to find that excitement.'" READ MORE: Pete Wicks rages after Sam Thompson tells him about cafe you 'can't eat anything' at Louis and Sam are now set to come face to face when they play for England at Soccer Aid at Old Trafford on the weekend, where they will be joined by sports stars, including Wayne Rooney and Gary Neville. However, the question on everyone's lips is how will the ex and current boyfriend of Zara get on. Explaining that he was asked about the awkward meet-up during an interview recently, Sam told his mate, Pete Wicks on their podcast: "At the end of the interview, he goes, 'Look mate, I've got to ask the question that everyone wants to know. This is sort of the big question really, the elephant in the room, What's it going to be like with you and Louis? Obviously he's doing Soccer Aid too.'" Sam continued: "Mate, you should have seen the room, everybody, it was a silent then everyone goes 'Woah, Woah Woah, end the call! End the call!' and I have just gone 'No, no guys, I've got this, I've got this.' I held my hands up to say just relax. "I think I did alright and I meant everything I said as well, that it's not about me or Louis or who anyone is dating, it's f**king Unicef and charity and everyone is going to be there for the exact same reason. "And if he has anything about him which I've heard he does, he's going to sit there and say the exact same thing." When interviewed by The Mirror and asked this question in May, Sam said: "I've never met Louis, but the moment I see him, I'll be like, 'mate, how amazing is this what we're doing, and hopefully we can make as much money as possible. "And I imagine – from what I hear is a really lovely bloke – I imagine the reply will be exactly the same." Sam has already raised over £1.5 million for Unicef by cycling and running from Stamford Bridge to Old Trafford and told us of his achievement: "I am totally broken - but so happy. "The fact this challenge has grabbed everyone's attention is just so incredible and I have just been blown away!"
Metro
44 minutes ago
- Metro
Watching Blu reject Alima, it's obvious Love Island has failed Black women
A sigh left my lips the second I saw the lineup – 10 new faces, and only one Black woman and one Black man amongst them. And it wasn't long before another disappointment that would have been a gut punch to Black women like me watching – when Alima was dismissed in minutes by her new partner Blu, who bluntly told her she 'wasn't his type on paper'. Blu's line wasn't just cringeworthy – it was downright heartbreaking. As a Black woman, it's hard not to feel a surge of frustration and sadness when you see yet another Black woman on Love Island being relegated to the sidelines. It's not just about one comment; it's about a pattern of erasure and the constant feeling of being an afterthought that I recognise from my own life. Wake up to find news on your TV shows in your inbox every morning with Metro's TV Newsletter. Sign up to our newsletter and then select your show in the link we'll send you so we can get TV news tailored to you. It reminds me of all those times of not feeling good enough, or feeling like I had to always be 10 times better than white counterparts just to get half of what they are getting. Or all those compliments about my 'strength' and 'resilience' while peers received comments on their beauty. So not only does the ITV show need to up their game in terms of recruiting Black islanders, they need to be wary of how they are treated. Because Love Island's persistent failure to appropriately look after Black women – by failing to uplift them (whether that be because of lack of suitable romantic matches or, as in past seasons, placing them among people who have disrespected them) – isn't just a casting issue, it's a reflection of deeper societal biases. This has been a recurring theme across almost every season of the ITV show, with Yewande saying her name was mispronounced in 2019, Samira from 2018 being overlooked and feeling like she was the 'token' Black woman on the show, and Kaz Kamwi, like other Black female contestants before her (Yewande and Samira included), was chosen last in the initial coupling up during her stint in 2021. These incidents reveal a consistent pattern undermining the experiences of Black contestants, and the show's producers need to take a long, hard look at the messages they're sending. Are they actively seeking out diverse contestants who are genuinely attracted to Black women? Are they providing adequate emotional support, and representation and diversity behind the scenes, to ensure these women don't feel isolated? Until Love Island moves beyond surface-level diversity and tackles the underlying issues, it will continue to perpetuate harmful stereotypes and fail the Black women who dare to enter the villa. Yewande, a scientist, was often overlooked and found it difficult to form meaningful connections and has consistently spoken out about the lack of representation in the show, recounting her own experiences of men's 'types' on the show invariably being Eurocentric ideals of blonde hair and blue eyes. Love Island needs to do better – not just for the sake of its Black contestants, but for the sake of its viewers, who deserve to see a more authentic and inclusive representation of love. The UK is a melting pot, a vibrant tapestry of cultures and backgrounds. So why does Love Island insist on serving up the same tired narrative year after year where Black women are forced to ask why they aren't doing more. Meanwhile, across the pond, Love Island USA is displaying a cast as diverse as the country it stands for. Watching that version, there are a number of Black contestants, all are celebrated in their own unique way. It gives viewers a sense of representation and a welcoming feeling. Olandria and Chelley are given more options and respected and found attractive in a way it often seems UK contestants aren't. The conversation between Blu and Alima felt like a painful reminder of the narrow beauty standards that still dominate the show – and, let's be honest, society. I don't think Blu would have told a blonde white girl that she wasn't his type within seconds of meeting her. For me, Blu's comment, and the wider issues with Love Island, just reinforces the idea that Black women are somehow less desirable, and that is a damaging message to send. More Trending Love Island needs to do more than just tick boxes. It needs to create a space where everyone feels valued and has a fair chance at finding love, regardless of their background. So with six weeks to go, let's bring in some bombshells who actually appreciate Black contestants. It's not about forcing anything, but about creating a space where everyone feels seen and desired. Love Island is viewed by millions, and it is off to a bleak start for Black women after last night. View More » But it has the potential to be more than just a manufactured drama fest. It's time to ditch the tired tropes and create a season that's genuinely exciting, inclusive, and full of surprises. Do you have a story you'd like to share? Get in touch by emailing Share your views in the comments below. MORE: Fifa's controversial blockbuster may be a summer hit but Club World Cup scepticism remains rife MORE: The latest Doctor Who rumours give me hope the series won't die MORE: I won't risk my safety by seeing Charli XCX at Glastonbury 2025
