David Beckham branded a 'wimp' by Michael Palin for his Amazon fears
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Phobia experts are queuing up to help David Beckham overcome his fear of frogs and creepy crawlies, after the star admitted he was scared while motorbiking around Brazil's Amazon Rainforest.
The offer of help came after veteran traveller Michael Palin joked that the footballer was a 'wimp' during an interview about his Brazil adventure.
Beckham had admitted: 'On this trip I was like snakes, not a big fan of, spiders, also not a big fan of - but frogs were the thing I was kind of not sure I wanted to come across one. And one of the first animals that we saw was a bright orange frog which unnerved me even more.'
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Hair raising: David promised his wife he would wear a hat to hide his messy hair
When footage from the BBC documentary that Beckham filmed while in the country showed him quivering at the sight of a frog, Palin joked: 'You are a wimp really. David Attenborough would have interviewed it.'
The former England footballer had decided to take a trip to explore the Amazon by motorbike with three of his best friends.
In the programme, which airs on BBC One at 8.30pm on June 9, Beckham's oldest son Brooklyn voices his concern for his dad, saying he expected his dad would struggle with spiders in the jungle.
Expert interviewer: Michael Palin is himself famed for circumnavigating the globe for various BBC documentaries
Jungle adventure: The group headed down the Amazon river in 'leaky' canoes, encountering six-foot long anacondas along the way
Famous family: Victoria Beckham appears in the film at one point. 'Wow, that is a long way!' she says as her husband shows her the planned route
But reassurance and words of comfort for 39-year-old Becks came today from Anxiety Care UK's website, which states: 'Animal and bird phobias are very common - it is believed that at least one person in ten is affected at some time in their life.
'Fear of rats, frogs and snakes, which most people seldom encounter, can be the cause of much misery.'
As Brooklyn predicted, the group discovered a tarantula just three metres into their trek into the jungle. Later, they encountered six-foot long anacondas as they travelled along the Amazon in 'leaky' canoes.
But while Beckham admitted he struggled with some situations in the jungle - including the lack of washing facilities and sleeping in a hammock - he did love the anonymity afforded him by travelling in such a remote area.
'I retired 12 months ago and my whole life, my whole career has been about having a particular schedule that I've always kept to, so we just wanted to be able to jump on the bikes and do what we wanted, wherever we wanted', he explained.
Cultural journey: David Beckham loved meeting the tribes who live in the rainforest, but had to explain what football was to some of the children
Road trip: Beckham admitted that the anonymity riding the bike afforded him was liberating
Brazilian odyssey: Beckham spoke to Michael Palin about his adventure at the Serpentine Sackler Gallery today
The star travelled with three of his closest friends, Anthony Mandler (a world-renowned photographer and video director), Derek White (an experienced motorbike rider), and best friend Dave Gardner who he has known since they were 14.
He explained to Palin: 'When I have the helmet on nobody knows it's me. When I'm on a bike it's one of the few times that I feel free - so bikes were a big part of it for me.'
And Beckham certainly didn't need to worry about people asking for autographs when he was in the rainforest.
Hitting the road: The foursome ride through Rio before heading down to the Amazon rainforest
When he met members of the remote Yanomami tribe, who have interacted with very few westerners, Beckham had to explain what he did for a living and what football actually was.
He said: 'I didn't explain it very well', says Beckham, 'the only time I've ever had to explain football before is probably to my wife.'
But while the star said he slept for just 30 minutes on his first night in a hammock and was worried about creepy crawlies, he was a dab hand at catching fish and cooking them on an open fire.
Fire starter: David picked up quite a few new skills on his epic adventure
Making new friends: David gets his face painted by a member of the Yanomami tribe
On the road: David Beckham explored the Amazon by motorbike with three of his best friends while filming the 90-minute programme
Beckham said the team took quite a difficult route through the rainforest, admitting there were a few 'dodgy roads along the way'.
But the star said the trip was 'exhilarating', and didn't regret anything about the experience, even when he nearly fell off his bike after hitting some ridges on a steep hill, following two solid days of rain.
'That was probably the worst that we came up against, but it was fun,' he told Palin. 'It made me feel like a 17-year-old and I'd do it all over again.'
Life changing: Beckham told Michael Palin that his experience was one he would never forget
Friendly advice: David's son Brooklyn also makes an appearance in the programme and tells his dad he will be scared of the spiders
While some of the roads were dangerous, Beckham said he never felt that the situation was life-threatening, but said he wouldn't want his boys doing it. 'Not that I could stop them!' he joked.
And the thing he is most proud of is that he came out of the jungle alive, along with the fact that he got to see more of his friends than he'd ever seen before: 'Seeing Dave really, really struggle – that was a pleasurable part of the trip!'
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