David Beckham has become a rainforest explorer after undertaking a two-week jungle expedition for a BBC1 documentary about Brazil.  The former England captain has been cooking, camping and fishing as he and three friends journeyed through the Amazon forest earlier this month for the 90-minute film.  Beckham, who will appear in a BBC1 Sport Relief special edition of Only Fools and Horses on Friday, headed to the country secretly to make the film in order to give a taste of the natural beauty of the country ahead of the World Cup this summer.  He was accompanied by fellow travellers Dave Gardner and Derek White, together with film-maker Anthony Mandler, as he added a further dimension to his career.  The unnamed film is to be screened on BBC1 in June, to tie in with the tournament.  Charlotte Moore, the channel's controller, said: "In this special documentary for BBC1, David Beckham embarks on a top-secret expedition to the Amazon that will see him encounter the other side of Brazil and journey through the tropical rainforest, a TV first for the global icon."  BBC Worldwide, the corporation's commercial arm, is handling international sales of the programme, which it will be launching at the at the MipTV 2014 international TV sales festival next month.  Helen Jackson, managing director for content at BBC Worldwide said: "This is an unforgettable documentary set in the heart of the dense Amazon rainforest following David Beckham.  "Through his eyes, audiences will experience life in the jungle, something so distant from David's life on and off the pitch and in the glare of the world's media."  • To contact the MediaGuardian news desk email media@theguardian.com or phone 020 3353 3857. For all other inquiries please call the main Guardian switchboard on 020 3353 2000. If you are writing a comment for publication, please mark clearly "for publication".  • To get the latest media news to your desktop or mobile, follow MediaGuardian on Twitter and Facebook.
Ex-England captain makes documentary during expedition in Brazil to tie in with broadcaster's coverage of 2014 World Cup