Malala Yousafzai’s mom disapproved of Prince Harry and Sir David Beckham.
Malala Yousafzai and Sir David Beckham in 2022
Toor Pekai Yousafzai “shoved” the 41-year-old royal’s hand off her 28-year-old daughter’s shoulder when they posed for a photo together at an event.
During an appearance on The Graham Norton Show on Friday (31.10.25), Malala – a female education activist – revealed: “When I met Prince Harry and he put his arm very respectfully around my shoulder for a photograph, my mother goes after him and shoves his hand away!”
At the 2013 Pride of Britain Awards, held in London, England, former professional footballer Sir David Beckham, 50, presented the Teenager of Courage Award to then-17-year-old Malala.
In 2012, the Taliban shot her in the head and neck in an assassination attempt on her way home from school because the Afghan political and militant movement banned women from getting an education.
Malala posed with David after he handed her the accolade to honour her bravery and heroism in campaigning for women’s education in the region.
However, her mom and dad, Ziauddin Yousafzai, went crazy when she posed with the former Manchester United midfielder because of the “disapproval of their conservative relatives”.
However, Malala fired back to her parents, saying: “Firstly, I am 17 and secondly, that’s David Beckham!”
Malala also shared that her parents did not approve of the clothes she wore to university.
She said: “The clothes I wore at university upset them. They were very strict and particularly didn’t like my skinny jeans.”
Malala made history in 2014 at the age of 17 by being the youngest laureate of the Nobel Peace Prize for fighting the suppression of children and advocating for children’s right to education.
And her life’s “personal reflections” are documented in Malala’s new memoir Finding My Way.
She said: “It is a coming-of-age story. The most personal reflections I have shared from when I was a lonely student in high school to a reckless college student, and navigating my way as a young woman.
“It is my personal experiences about belonging, friendships, and mental health. My hope is that when someone reads the book, the message is that they are not alone.”
Malala attended secondary school at Edgbaston High School in Birmingham, West Midlands, England, from 2013 to 2017.
And she then secured a place at Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford, England, to study for a Bachelor of Arts degree in Philosophy, Politics and Economics (PPE).
After three years, she graduated in 2020.
Asked about studying in the UK, Malala said: “I felt so lucky that I went to college and completed my degree, and that was the moment I felt I had won. Because the people that tried to silence me and stop me from learning failed, and I completed my education. I have that same dream for all women.”
The Graham Norton Show airs on BBC One and iPlayer on Friday October 24 at 10.40pm.