The former England football captain and Welsh mezzo-soprano were both sat in the Royal Box on Monday
13:59, 29 Jun 2026Updated 15:43, 29 Jun 2026
Katherine Jenkins and husband Andrew Levitas were placed directly behind David Beckham in the Wimbledon Royal Box(Image: 2026 Karwai Tang)
David Beckham and Katherine Jenkins came face-to-face at Wimbledon again as the championships got underway on Monday, nine years after the football legend’s furious comments about the Welsh singer emerged.
The former England, Manchester United and England star was in the Royal Box alongside his mother Sandra to watch the first day of action at SW19, with Jenkins and her husband Andrew Levitas seated directly behind them. It comes two years after the footballer and mezzo-soprano were again sat in the same box, in the wake of Beckham’s emails about her being leaked.
After Jenkins was named as OBE in the New Years Honours in 2014 for her contributions to music and charitable efforts – and Beckham was overlooked for a knighthood – the former Three Lions captain hit out at the decision in an email to his advisor, which was subsequently leaked in 2017.
“Katherine Jenkins OBE for what?,” the email read. “Singing at the rugby and going to see the troops plus taking coke. F***ing joke.”
Jenkins later admitted to feeling hurt by Beckham’s comments, revealing that the footballer never reached out to apologise.
“You’re just minding your own business and you get caught up in this massive storm,” she told The Sun.
“You just think, ‘Aw, I wasn’t doing anything’. To get caught up in that wasn’t pleasant.
“I don’t know why, again, that was aimed at me. I also don’t feel the need to defend this, by the way. I know what I’ve done and when I got the OBE it was given to me for music and for charity.”
Katherine Jenkins and Andrew Levitas speak with Alexander Armstrong (R) with David Beckham sat just in front of them(Image: 2026 Karwai Tang)
“It’s obviously disappointing. I’ve never heard anything from them about it. It doesn’t matter.
“Priorities are my kids, my family, my singing, my charities and that’s just white noise in the background.”
Beckham’s reference to ‘coke’ came after Jenkins previously admitted to taking illegal drugs – including cocaine, ecstasy and MDMA – until she was 23.
“I felt like I had to be honest, that was the thing,” she said. “I look back and I think it was the right thing to do and I definitely don’t regret talking about it. I think it was something that needed to be addressed.”
The furore came just over five years after Jenkins strongly and publicly denied an affair with Beckham, after rumours began to circulate on social media.
Beckham, meanwhile, was finally knighted last year, in recognition of his services to sport and charity.
Also in the Royal Box on Monday was actor and playwright Sir Mark Rylance, TV presenter Alexander Armstrong, singer Ronan Keating, food writer and chef Dame Mary Berry and former Strictly Come Dancing host Tess Daly.