We've seen it before. Sir Alex Ferguson forcing him out of Old Trafford, only to suffer the next season in midfield. Rebecca Loos telling all and sundry about their alleged affair only to be dubbed by the Great British public as the "Sleazy Senorita". Now, we heard how Steve McLaren phoned Beckham not long after last year's disastrous World Cup and informed him he was being dropped from the National side. "He told me there will be casualties," said Beckham. "And you are a casualty." There was an audible sharp intake of breath from Parkinson. He may have been undperforming for England for years, vocally uninspiring and outplayed by his replacement Aaron Lennon in the World Cup, but drop Beckham? How could he?

Of course Parky loves David. We could see that from their initial hug as Beckham came on stage - the sort of awkward half pat -on-back/half clinch teenage boys have with their fathers. Who could forget that initial love-in a few years back when the show's proudcers kindly sent the Beckhams a list of questions a few weeks before to prepare their answers? We were shown a repeat of that last night, the bit when Posh revealed she calls Becks Goldenballs. Parky wouldn't shut up about it, as if this was some historic moment of comic television, on par with the Dead Parrot sketch or Hancock's trip to the blood donor.

But then Parky figured out long ago what McLaren never realised. You don't cross Goldenballs. Brand Beckham always wins.