The waitress...the tip..and the 'affair' that almost broke Brand Beckham

A seemingly harmless incident in a restaurant sparked a devastating claim which threatened to tear Brand Beckham apart, a new book reveals.

- TOM BRYANT

Personal assistant Rebecca Loos, now 46, went public about her alleged affair with David Beckham, 49, following his failure to tip a waitress.

The aftermath of Rebecca's revelation was the "hardest period" for David and wife Victoria, according to last year's Netflix series Beckham.

Now a book by author Tom Bower tells for the first time why Rebecca spoke out, posing the biggest test of the Beckham's marriage, which marks 25 years next month.

In The House of Beckham, the author writes that after a meal at Madrid's Hard Rock Cafe for Rebecca and other staff of his SFX agency, the millionaire footballer did not tip.

Bower writes: "The following day, the waitress gave Loos a note for Beckham. Explaining that she survived on the tips, she expressed her anger that someone as famous and rich could be so mean.

"After reading the note, Beckham was alarmed. 'Give her this, he said handing over a thick wodge of euros.

"Reflecting... about how Beckham had played her and lied to her, Loos was angry." Rebecca, who was let go by SFX, sold her story alleging an affair to a former Sunday newspaper in 2004.

The Beckham PR advisers quickly arranged a show of togetherness on holiday in the Alpine ski resort of Courchevel, France, to try to offset the damage to Brand Beckham.

The book says: "In a bravura performance the couple clung to each other - she with an iron grip on his hand. Then they performed a piggy-back and smiled.