Richard Keys clarifies rumours he ‘cheated on wife with cancer for daughter's best friend'

Former Sky Sports presenter Richard Keys has finally opened up on claims that he left his wife of 34 years, for his daughter's best friend.

It's a bonkers claim, but many have thrown it at the football pundit on social media over the years, to which he has stayed mostly silent.

Keys, 68, once spearheaded Sky Sports' coverage of the Premier League alongside long-time co-presenter Andy Grey, before both were dismissed in 2011 after some sexist off-air remarks.

They were heard speaking about Premier League assistant refereee Sian Massey, claiming that a woman wouldn't be able to understand the offside rule.

Leaving the UK, Keys and Grey migrated to Qatar, where they have been presenting coverage of not just the Premier League, but Champions League and English domestic cup competitions for beIN SPORTS, over the last 13 years.

Keys and Grey (left) have been presenting football together for decades, finding success in Qatar after leaving Sky (Instagram/richardkeysofficial)

Despite his career-related controversies, it's his personal life which has been under constant scrutiny since his divorce in 2016.

Keys' ex-wife Julia, filed for divorce in 2016 after a diagnosis of thyroid cancer, on grounds of his alleged affair with his now-wife Lucie.

Julia would go on to write an infidelity survival guide, claiming that her ex-husband's actions 'didn’t just devastate my world, but the world of our children Jemma and Josh, too'.

But speaking to The Telegraph, Keys revealed that the reality around his divorce was different to the public perception.

He said that it was true that he socialised with Lucie in Doha, as she worked for the Qatar Investment Authority, the nation's sovereign wealth fund.

Keys also admitted that his daughter was upset at finding out of the romantic connection, though Lucie was not her best friend as he explained: “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,” he stated.

The journalist admitted in the interview: “I’ve never sat with anybody and talked about this, but I didn’t leave Julia dying of cancer, or suffering with cancer.

“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.”

Keys claims that he didn't leave his wife due to her cancer diagnosis (Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images)

Keys said that he was working at Arsenal on the day of his ex-wife's operation, claiming that he wasn't 'uninterested', instead claiming: “I just didn’t want people to know she was unwell or to bring in the intrusion that would naturally follow.”

Despite losing a number of mates when he decided to leave Julia for Lucie, he said he doesn't have any regrets, despite admitting that he was 'persona non grata' for a period of time.

At the age of 68, Keys recently had a life-saving aortic operation and acknowledged that he may not have much time left in front of the camera.

“I am beginning maybe the penultimate season of my life. Leaves aren’t coming off trees yet, but there’s a chance they’re going to be soon. So, I want to enjoy this period,” he said.