Victoria and David Beckham enjoy cosy countryside pub lunch in Chipping Norton (and bump into a very familiar face!)

David Beckham looked like he was having an awkward conversation with Clarkson’s Farm star Gerald Cooper as they were seen in deep conversation at The Checkers pub in Chipping Norton on Saturday evening.

Fans of Jeremy Clarkson’s Amazon Prime show will know that Gerald is known for his barely audible speech thanks to his thick West Country accent.

And while viewers and Jeremy himself regularly struggle to understand the fan favorite, it seemed the Beckhams were struggling too as they were spotted concentrating hard after bumping into Gerald.

The mega-star couple had swapped their chic Michelin-starred restaurants for the cozy surroundings of the Cotswolds country pub, where they enjoyed a quiet lunch.

Footage of their meeting shows David standing up to greet Gerald, 74, before sitting down next to his wife and engaging in conversation with the dry stone wall, who first appeared on Jeremy Clarkson’s 2021 show.

Gerald has since become a cult figure on the series thanks to his accent, on-screen charisma and hilarious interactions with the former Top Gear presenter, 64.

Their meeting with Gerald is not surprising given that he works on the nearby Diddly Squat farm in Chipping Norton, while Beckham’s Grade II listed farm is on the nearby Great Tew estate.

During the friendly exchange, the Beckham’s cut a casual figure, with David opting for a plain white T-shirt, while Victoria donned a brown high-neck sweater.

This isn’t the first time David has met fan favorite Gerald.

In May 2023, David visited Jeremy’s Diddly Squat Farm, where the football legend stopped to pose with Gerald.

David, who cut a relaxed figure in a navy blue knitted sweater over a striped white and blue shirt, beamed as he threw an arm around Gerald’s shoulders.

Jeremy joked alongside the cheerful photo: ‘Gerald. And another man.’

Gerald is a hit with fans for his hard-to-understand West Country accent and natural on-screen charm.

In 2023, he was treated for prostate cancer and underwent surgery. In June 2024, an update about Jeremy Clarkson’s farmer friend was shared on the official Clarkson’s Farm account, announcing that he was cancer-free.

Gerald’s condition was kept secret from fans of the show until the 2024 series. At the end of the first episode, Jeremy received the heartbreaking news during a phone call with presumably Gerald’s wife.

Clarkson revealed more details about Gerald’s cancer diagnosis in the second episode.

He told viewers: ‘Gerald had been diagnosed with prostate cancer. Something me and Kaleb talked about while trying to do what our absent friend normally does.”

Jeremy said: ‘I’ve called around, doctors and things I know, and his chances are very good, but it’s scaring him to death.’ Caleb replied, “He doesn’t understand, you know that.”

David’s pub outing comes days after he narrowly avoided a parking fine in central Manchester earlier this month.

The former footballer, who recently celebrated the New Year in Miami with his family, was spotted leaving Gary Neville’s Stock Exchange hotel with his £600,000 black badge Rolls Royce Cullinan, which he had parked on the double yellow lines.

He was accompanied by his mother Sandra and father Ted.

However, it appears the sports star managed to avoid a parking ticket when he showed his parents the VIP treatment as they drove away from the five-star hotel.

David dressed up in a smart navy blue winter coat after spending the day in Manchester, with a white shirt and black tie.

Meanwhile, Victoria wished daughter-in-law Nicola Peltz a happy 30th birthday on Instagram on Thursday as she shared a throwback video of the couple dancing.

The post comes after Victoria’s son and Nicola’s husband Brooklyn shared a photo of La Fires, where they live. It is not known whether they have been evacuated.

The fashion mogul proved to her fans that their ‘feud’ is long a thing of the past after she showered her love on the actress.

Victoria shared the throwback video of the couple dancing on the beach during their lavish family vacation in the Bahamas in 2023 with her 32.9 million followers.

Nicola showed off her impressive dance moves in the sand while wearing a sky-high pair of wedges, while her mother-in-law opted for the safer option and went barefoot.

The actress, who is married to David and Victoria’s eldest son Brooklyn, rocked white shorts with a black blouse and sunglasses.

Meanwhile, Posh Spice looked stunning in a black mini dress, sunglasses and styled her long brunette locks in a neat updo.

Victoria and Nicola held hands as they danced against the picturesque sunset, putting to rest rumors that there would ever be a feud between them.

The mum-of-four wrote: ‘Happy Birthday @nicolaannepeltzbeckham!!! I love you so much xxx’.