Furious singer Katherine Jenkins hits back at David Beckham after footie hero branded her OBE ‘for singing at the rugby and taking coke’ a ‘f***ing joke’ in hacked emails
FURIOUS Katherine Jenkins rubbished David Beckham’s claim she did not deserve her OBE.
She lashed out after footie hero Becks branded the honour a “f***ing joke” in hacked emails.
Representatives of classical singer Katherine, 36, issued a fierce response highlighting her extensive music and charity work.
Becks, 41, lashed out at the classical star in leaked emails, dubbed Beckileaks, after he missed out on a knighthood.
But Welsh star Katherine, 36, defended her right to the award in the 2014 New Year Honours.
Her manager, Professor Jonathan Shalit, told The Sun: “Beckham says, ‘Katherine Jenkins OBE for what? Singing at the rugby and going to see the troops plus taking coke. F***ing joke’.
“I say Katherine was awarded an OBE for her services to music and charity.
“With regards to the taking of coke which Katherine has courageously publicly admitted with great honesty — this was when she was in her early 20s still studying, over a decade before she was awarded her OBE and started her recording career.”
'We were not an item'
KATHERINE took to Twitter in 2012 to deny “horrible rumours” that she had a fling with Beckham.
She wrote: “I absolutely deny I’ve had an affair with David Beckham. I’ve only met David twice — at the Military Awards in 2010, and a night out with friends in 2012.
“I have never been on my own with him and never arranged to meet up.”
She later had to deny claims her post was a PR stunt. Katherine said Beckham’s team were pleased with how she handled the situation.
On Saturday, The Sun told how leaked emails between Beckham, awarded an OBE in 2003, and PR chief Simon Oliveira exposed his attempts to use his charity work as part of a campaign for a knighthood.
In one message he branded the Honours Committee “unappreciative c***s” and dismissed lower awards, ranting: “Unless it’s a knighthood f*** off”.
He ignored the storm but broke his social media silence to pay tribute to Man United’s Busby Babes killed in the 1958 Munich air crash.
Beckham was also backed by son Brooklyn, 17, a budding photographer, who posted an Instagram image of his dad kissing daughter Harper.
Wife Victoria is thought to be at New York Fashion Week after flying out from London over the weekend.
Continuing his defence of Katherine, Prof Shalit, also an OBE, highlighted her charity work and visits to British soldiers in war zones.
He added: “She visited troops in Iraq 2005 and 2006, Afghanistan 2007 and 2013, Cyprus 2007 and 2009 and Kosovo in 2009.
“These visits have continued consistently since her OBE was awarded.
“She has made various visits to UK-based regiments and in 2006 became a Trustee of the British Forces Foundation.
“Katherine’s continual participation in charity events have helped raise tens of millions of pounds for important causes.”
Katherine got OBE for services to music and charity
Singer's manager
Mezzo-soprano Katherine also has a long list of musical achievements to counter David’s outburst.
Prof Shalit explained: “At the age of 23 she signed the largest record deal in UK classical history with Decca.
“She went on to become the world’s most prolific crossover artist selling over ten million CDs, and having platinum albums worldwide.
“She has performed for Presidents and Royalty including at Westminster Cathedral in honour of Pope John Paul II’s Silver Jubilee and Her Majesty the Queen’s 90th Birthday celebrations at Windsor Castle.”
A police probe into the leak has been launched in Portugal where Oliveira’s firm has its servers.
The dossier of Becks’ emails was obtained by the European Investigative Collaborations network and Der Spiegel and published across Europe on respected newspaper websites.
Oliveira has said the messages were “hacked and doctored” to “give a deliberately inaccurate picture”.