Richard Keyes worked with Andy Gray in the Middle East for more than a decade (Image: X/Richard Keyes)
Richard Keyes has returned to the UK earlier than expected due to rising tensions across the Middle East. The former Sky Sports presenter was due to leave Qatar this summer when his contract with beIN Sports expires, but returned to England midway through the current turmoil.
Keyes worked in the UAE for 13 years with his long-time presenting partner Andy Gray. Despite his extensive experience at Sky Sports, he has become a controversial figure within the industry due to sexism scandals and controversy surrounding his personal life. The 68-year-old also reunited with his long-distance wife Lucy Rose, whom he married in 2023 despite being 31 years older.
The Telegraph reported that the pair plan to live together after returning to the UK after having been in a long-distance relationship for the past three years. Mr. Keys met his new wife at a golf event in Qatar, and their relationship has faced considerable criticism due to their age difference.
It’s not just the 30-year age difference that attracts attention. The lawyer was friends with Keys’ daughter Gemma, but she refused to move to the Middle East, choosing to wait until the presenter returned to the UK after leaving beIN.
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Keys married Lucy seven years later, following his divorce from Gemma’s mother Julia, to whom he had been married for 34 years. Julia is said to have revealed her husband’s secret relationship while he was undergoing treatment for thyroid cancer.
Keyes is now back living with his much younger wife. (Image: Ian Tuttle/BPI/REX/Shutterstock)
Mr Keyes claimed that Julia had been “in remission for seven years” before the marriage broke down. “I’ve never sat down and talked about this with anyone, but I didn’t let Julia die of cancer or suffer from cancer. Sadly, she had cancer in 2008 and 2009 and we met a genius surgeon who removed it.”
Nevertheless, Julia disputes these claims in her book The MANScript, claiming that the “incident” had a significant impact on the entire family. “Richard’s affair has not only devastated my world, but also the world of our children Gemma and Josh.
“Only now, two years later, has he admitted to having had an affair with Lucy and acknowledged his deception and the damage it caused.”
Keys separated from his ex-wife Julia in 2016 following allegations of infidelity. (Image: WireImage)
Mr Keys is said to have become estranged from Gemma after the alleged affair, which reportedly worsened her struggle with alcoholism. The Hollyoaks actress previously described Lucy as a “friend”, but her father disputed the closeness of their relationship to the Telegraph.
“What’s harmful is that people are assuming that I ran off with my daughter’s best friend, locked her in a room, and didn’t give her a choice whether she wanted to be with me or not. All of that is nonsense.”
“Lucy is one of the most powerful and strong-willed people I’ve ever met. She’s very passionate about women’s rights. People see me as an easy target, but this narrative is unfair to her. That’s completely wrong.”
Keys is currently married to someone who is close to his daughter Gemma’s age. (Image: richardkeysofficial/Instagram)
His ex-wife, Julia, filed for divorce in 2016 on the grounds of infidelity after allegations of an affair with the then 28-year-old lawyer first surfaced. Speaking about his previous marriage, Keys said, “I never thought my 34-year marriage would end, but Lucy came into my life. Wow, what a force of nature. The rest is history.”
What Keys’ future holds remains uncertain. He continues to run a blog, but given the controversy that led to his departure from Sky, it is unlikely he will return to the UK broadcaster.
He claimed, “There is still a long way to go,” effectively denying that he would retire. As for his personal life, he is ultimately focused on living permanently with Lucy in a property in west London.
