Cancer-stricken wife of Sky Sports host Richard Keys files for divorce ‘after he has a fling with daughter’s pal’
He is accused of seeing lawyer Lucie Rose, 27, after meeting on Doha's party circuit
FORMER Sky Sports host Richard Keys is divorcing his cancer-stricken wife of 34 years amid claims he was having an affair with their daughter’s friend.
The star, 59, is accused of seeing 27-year-old lawyer Lucie Rose.
Wife Julia, who has thyroid cancer, quit their Qatar home and returned to the UK after learning of the alleged betrayal.
She is said to have confronted him before filing for divorce on the grounds of adultery.
Keys is said to have met Ms Rose on Doha’s party circuit.
The lawyer is friends with the couple’s daughter Jemma, 31, who starred in Channel 4 soap Hollyoaks from 2004 to 2007. The couple also have a son, Josh, 27.
He moved to the Middle East after losing his Sky job in 2011 when he made off-air sexist comments about a female football match official.
Keys is now a presenter for BeIn Sports channels and will cover the World Cup in Qatar in 2022.
Keys and Ms Rose refused to comment.
One said: "This is the most appalling behaviour.
"He knew that Julia was very ill but carried on anyway. It has knocked Julia for six and it has had an adverse effect on her health.£
Keys presented Sky Sports’ coverage of Premier League football for 19 years but resigned after he and co-presenter Andy Gray made jokes about whether female match official Sian Massey knew the offside rule.
He also asked fellow pundit Jamie Redknapp about an ex-girlfriend, saying: "Did you smash it?", before adding: "You’d have gone round there any night of the week and found Redknapp hanging out the back of it."
The footage was not aired.
The source said that Julia stood by him after the incident, adding: "She was his rock back then and now when she needs him the most to help her fight her illness, he does this. It is despicable."