Disgraced former Sky News presenter Richard Keys’ wife has branded him a “pathological liar” after it was revealed he is still seeing his daughter’s friend – while begging for a second chance at their marriage.
This week 59-year-old Keys was spotted with lover Lucie Rose, now 28, at a five-star hotel in the West End of London. Keys, who landed a £420,000 job in Qatar after leaving Sky Sports after making sexist comment, was spotted arm-in-arm with his daughter’s friend as they wandered into the £400 a night hotel.
After being shown the tryst photographs, his estranged wife blasted her husband and alleged he forced her to lie about the affair when it was first exposed in a bid to save their 34-year marriage – a union six years older than Ms Rose.
(Photo: Edward Lloyd/Alpha)
Speaking to the Daily Mail, mum-of-two Julia, 57, said she had no idea Keys was still seeing the young blonde.
She said: “I am utterly stunned. Last year he bullied me into making a public statement saying the affair did not take place. I did it for the sake of our family even though I knew he had been carrying on with her. After that he apologised and bought me roses and a teddy in an attempt to patch our marriage up.
“He promised me that he would not see Lucie again. The irony is that when they were together in that hotel this week, I received a “love heart” in a text and a message which said, “I love you,” from Richard. He is a pathological liar.’
“When someone, after 34 years of marriage, can do this to his wife and still plead for her to take him back, it really does beggar belief as to who this man is because I don’t know him. I really don’t know who he is.’
(Photo: REX/Shutterstock)
Their daughter Jemma, 31, who starred in Channel 4 soap Hollyoaks from 2004 to 2007, became friends with Miss Rose in Qatar before the affair developed, it has been claimed.
Julia and Keys were introduced to Lucie in Doha, Qatar, where he works for the English language sports network BeIN.
Keys and Julie moved to a luxurious villa complete with an outdoor pool after he left his job at Sky Sports in disgrace over crude remarks about a woman referee.
It is understood they were introduced to Lucie by a mutual acquaintance on the expat social circuit in the Qatari capital. According to a profile on the networking site LinkedIn, Lucie used to work for the Qatari investment authority.
(Photo: Mirrorpix)
The profile says she now works as a private equity lawyer for Baker & McKenzie, the world’s second-largest international law firm.
Julia said she discovered their affair at the end of May. She claims her husband lied to her that he had called it off.Keys presented the Sky Sports coverage of Premier League football for 19 years before resigning in disgrace over sexist remarks he and co-presenter Andy Gray made off-air about match official Sian Massey.
In another studio conversation, which was filmed but not transmitted, Keys asked pundit Jamie Redknapp about a former girlfriend: “Did you smash it?” – crude slang for: “Did you have sex with her?” At the time of the February 2011 scandal, Keys denied his marriage was in crisis.
He told reporters “Everything’s fine” as he and Julia quashed rumours of a bust-up.
