Richard Keys Set for UK Return to Live with Wife After Doha Chapter Closes
Veteran football presenter Richard Keys is reportedly planning a permanent return to the United Kingdom to live with his wife, Lucie Rose, aged 37. This move signals the end of his lengthy broadcasting stint in Doha, Qatar, where he has been a prominent face for beIN Sports since 2013.
Marriage and Long-Distance Relationship Culminate in Reunion
Keys, now 68, secretly married Rose, a former friend of his daughter Jemma, in Devon back in 2023. The couple has maintained a long-distance relationship since then, with Rose opting to remain in the UK while Keys continued his work in the Middle East. According to reports, she is eagerly anticipating his full-time return to British soil.
The Telegraph indicates that Keys is set to move in permanently with his wife, finally closing the geographical gap that has defined their marriage. This reunion follows a period of personal turmoil, including a fallout with his daughter Jemma after the alleged affair with Rose was exposed, which reportedly exacerbated Jemma's struggles with alcoholism.
End of an Era at beIN Sports
Keys and his broadcasting partner Andy Gray have been central figures at beIN Sports since 2013, fronting coverage of the Premier League. However, their contracts are due to expire at the conclusion of the 2025/26 season, and neither is expected to renew. This marks an amicable end to their 13-year tenure with the channel, effectively concluding Keys' professional chapter in the UAE and Qatar.
The pair's departure comes after a storied yet controversial career, notably marred by the 2011 incident that led to their dismissal from Sky Sports. During an off-air conversation, Keys and Gray made derogatory remarks about female assistant referee Sian Massey-Ellis, questioning her understanding of the offside rule. Keys has since alleged that "dark forces" were at play and that they were "set up," while Gray revealed the severe personal toll, including contemplating suicide due to the backlash.
Background of Personal and Professional Challenges
Keys' personal life has been marked by significant upheaval. His former wife, Julia, filed for divorce in 2016 on grounds of adultery after allegations surfaced of an affair with Rose, who was then 28. Julia, who was recovering from cancer at the time, detailed the impact in her book, The MANScript, stating that the affair devastated their family and that Keys only later admitted to the deceit.
Rose and Keys are believed to have met through mutual friends in Qatar's expat social scene, where Keys relocated after his Sky Sports sacking. The affair accusations compounded the professional fallout from the 2011 incident, which cost Keys his £500,000-a-year role at Sky Sports.
As Keys prepares to leave beIN Sports this summer, his return to the UK represents a new chapter both personally and professionally, away from the Middle Eastern broadcasting landscape that has defined much of his recent career.
