David Beckham reveals impact of OCD in new documentary

David Beckham has revealed how living with his “tiring” obsessive compulsive disorder leads him to spending hours cleaning and organising his home while the rest of his family are in bed.

The former England football captain, 47, says in a forthcoming Netflix documentary: “The fact that when everyone’s in bed I then go around, clean the candles, turn the lights on to the right setting, make sure everywhere is tidy. I hate coming down in the morning and there’s cups and plates and, you know, bowls.

“I clip the candle wax, I clean the glass, that’s my pet hate, the smoke around the inside of a candle,” he says. “I know, it’s weird.”

When the camera crew comments on how clean his kitchen looks, Beckham says: “I clean it so well, I’m not sure it’s actually appreciated so much by my wife, in all honesty.”

In response, Victoria Beckham tells the crew “He’s just so perfect” and tells David he is “appreciated”. He says he finds the cleaning rituals “tiring” but he feels compelled to do it.

Beckham has discussed living with the condition in the past. He told the Daily Mail he would count clothes and place magazines in straight lines and symmetrical patterns. He also said that one of the reasons he kept getting tattoos was because he was addicted to the pain.

In an interview with ITV in 2006, he said he could not stop acting on his compulsions despite having tried.

He said: “I’ve got this obsessive compulsive disorder where I have to have everything in a straight line or everything has to be in pairs. I’ll put my Pepsi cans in the fridge and if there’s one too many then I’ll put it in another cupboard somewhere … everything has to be perfect.”

Netflix confirmed last July that a documentary series about the former footballer’s career was in production. The series will feature unseen archive footage as well as interviews with Beckham, his family and friends, and other people who played an important role in his story.

In an Instagram post, Beckham said: “I’m excited to confirm that I am partnering with Netflix on a documentary series about my life and career.

“The series will feature unseen archive, untold stories as well as interviews with the people who have been a part of my journey. The series is directed and produced by Academy Award winners Fisher Stevens and John Battsek. Watch this space …”