Richard Keys (beIN Sports)
Richard Keys has insisted he did not leave his former wife while she was battling cancer, saying he “never expected” his 34-year marriage to end until he was “bowled over” by his current partner.
The former Sky Sports presenter, 68, separated from Julia in 2016 before beginning a relationship with Lucie Rose, who is 32 years his junior.
Speculation – largely circulating on social media – had suggested Julia was unwell at the time of their split, a claim Keys has firmly rejected.
“I’ve never sat with anybody and talked about this, but I didn’t leave Julia dying of cancer, or suffering with cancer,” Keys told The Telegraph. “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.”
Keys also dismissed claims that Lucie, who was friends with his daughter Jemma, had been pressured into the relationship. The couple married in 2023.
Reflecting on the end of his first marriage, he said he had not anticipated it.
“I never expected” it to be over after more than three decades, “but Lucie bowled into my life,” he said, describing her as “a force of nature.”
Keys pictured with his daughter Jemma (Instagram/Richard Keys)
Addressing criticism surrounding their relationship, Keys said: “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.”
Keys married Julia in 1982 and the couple share two children, Jemma and Josh.
Following their divorce, Julia published an infidelity survival guide, writing that his behaviour “didn’t just devastate my world, but the world of our children, too.”
The presenter has faced ongoing scrutiny over the 32-year age gap between him and his second wife. Lucie, a partner in private funds at law firm Proskauer Rose, has said she does not understand the backlash.
The pair spent a decade living apart while Keys worked in Qatar for broadcaster beIN SPORTS, but are now based together in London after his departure from the company.
Approaching 70, Keys has also spoken of wanting another child, saying he would be a “very, very happy man” if “something of that nature happened”.
Keys was a mainstay of Sky Sports’ Premier League coverage for nearly 20 years before leaving in 2011 following derogatory comments about female assistant referee Sian Massey.
His long-time co-presenter Andy Gray also departed the broadcaster after further clips emerged of the pair behaving in a sexist manner.