Former Sky Sports presenter Richard Keys has spoken out about the breakdown of his 34-year marriage, insisting he did not leave his ex-wife Julia while she had cancer. Keys, 68, separated from Julia in 2016 and later married Lucie Rose, who is 31 years his junior and was a friend of his daughter Jemma.
In an interview with The Telegraph, Keys dismissed claims that Julia was suffering from cancer at the time of their divorce. 'I didn't leave Julia dying of cancer, or suffering with cancer,' he said. 'Sadly, she had cancer in 2008 and ’09, and we ran into a genius surgeon who removed it.' He added that he had worked on the day of her operation to avoid public intrusion.
Keys described his relationship with Lucie as an unexpected force of nature. 'I never expected my marriage would end after 34 years, but Lucie bowled into my life and, wow, what a force of nature,' he said. He rejected claims that Lucie was coerced, calling her 'one of the most powerful, strong-minded individuals you’ll come across' and 'deeply passionate about women’s rights.'
The couple lived apart for a decade while Keys worked for beIN SPORTS in Qatar, but they are now living together in London after he left the company. Keys, who turned 68 in 2023, expressed a desire to have another child, saying he would be 'a very, very happy man' if that happened.
Keys left Sky Sports in 2011 after making sexist comments about female assistant referee Sian Massey, alongside co-presenter Andy Gray. He acknowledged that 'prehistoric banter isn’t acceptable in the modern world.' His first wife Julia wrote an infidelity survival guide after their divorce, claiming his behaviour 'didn’t just devastate my world, but the world of our children, too.'
