Richard Keys has opened up on his infamous split from his ex-wife that saw him later marry a friend of his daughter who is 31 years his junior.
It was previously reported that the former Sky Sports presenter left his first wife Julia in 2016 after he was alleged to have been having an affair with Lucie Rose, his daughter’s close friend. They married in 2023.
It was also widely reported that Julia was battling thyroid cancer at the time, and she later explained how the split caused a deep family divide.
However, Keys refuted several of these claims in an interview with The Telegraph, and claimed the truth had been misconstrued.
‘I didn’t leave Julia dying of cancer, or suffering with cancer,’ Keys said. ‘Sadly, she had cancer in 2008 and ’09, and we ran into a genius surgeon who removed it. During that period, we travelled 30 days straight to find the best specialists at the best hospitals, the best anaesthetists.
‘I remember working at Arsenal on the day of the operation. It wasn’t that I was uninterested, I just didn’t want people to know she was unwell or to bring in the intrusion that would naturally follow.’
He added: ‘What’s damaging is that people presume I ran away with my daughter’s best mate, locked her in a room, and gave her no choice about whether she wanted to be with me or not. All of which is nonsense.
‘Lucie’s one of the most powerful, strong-minded individuals you’ll come across. She’s deeply passionate about women’s rights. People see me as an easy target, but the narrative is not fair on her. It’s totally wrong.’
Julia, who stuck by Keys when he resigned from his role with Sky Sports in 2011 after making disparaging remarks about female match official Sian Massey-Ellis, previously released her own infidelity survival guide called The MANScript following their separation.
In the book, which was published in 2018, she shared several details about the split.
She wrote: ‘Richard’s affair didn’t just devastate my world, but the world of our children Jemma and Josh too.
‘It is only now, two years on, that he has admitted he did have an affair with Lucie, as well as acknowledging his deceit and the damage it has caused.’
Julia went on to say she had been through ‘so much’ when he started having his affair, having battled thyroid cancer as well as nursing her mum through her final battle with cancer and her father’s dementia diagnosis.
Their daughter Jemma was also struggling with alcoholism in a difficult time for the family after the 36-year marriage came to an end.
Keys emphasised that Jemma and Lucie weren’t best friends, rather they had socialised together, although he admitted there was anger when the affair was discovered.
Meanwhile, despite nearing 70, Keys revealed he wants to be a father again.
‘If something of that nature happened, I would be a very, very happy man,’ he added. ‘I’ve looked around at men my age who have entered the fatherhood phase for a second time, and they all seem to be a lot more relaxed.
‘They’re more understanding of the role they have. I’ve come to the conclusion that when you’re in your 20s, 30s, you’re pushing your shoulders to the wheel and you haven’t got time to be a good father. I’ve got plenty of time.’
