Inside Richard Keys 'devastated' family from wife's cancer to alcoholic daughter

28 June 2023 , 14:07
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Richard Keys with his daughter Jemma (l) and ex-wife Julia (Image: WireImage)
Richard Keys with his daughter Jemma (l) and ex-wife Julia (Image: WireImage)

Former Sky Sports presenter Richard Keys has married long-time girlfriend Lucie Rose – seven years after his ex-wife filed for divorce after uncovering their affair.

The 66-year-old was pictured exchanging vows with Lucie Rose, who is 32 years his junior.

The plush civil ceremony took place in Kingswear, near Brixham, Devon, and a photo shows Richard wearing a grey suit and dark grey tie while lawyer Lucie wore a white wedding gown with a large skirt and long veil.

His daughter, ex-Hollyoaks star Jemma - who claimed to be best friends with Lucie - was nowhere to be seen in the glam wedding snaps and it's not known if she attended the ceremony.

Inside Richard Keys 'devastated' family from wife's cancer to alcoholic daughter qhiqqkiqxhirzinvRichard Keys has married Lucie Rose (Instagram)
Inside Richard Keys 'devastated' family from wife's cancer to alcoholic daughterHis ex-wife, Julia, said the affair "devastated" their family (Andrew Mccafferty/REX/Shutterstock)

Do you remember the story about Richard's affair? Let us know in the comments...

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In a statement, Richard confirmed that his son Josh was not at the wedding, and insisted that Jemma and Lucie were not friends and had simply 'met twice'.

Richard and Lucie are believed to have been introduced by a mutual acquaintance on the expat social circuit in Qatar, where the presenter worked after he left Sky Sports after making comments about a female referee.

In 2016 it was reported that Julia, who was in remission from thyroid cancer - filed for divorce and returned to the UK after discovering texts between her husband and Lucie.

A source told the Daily Mail at the time: "It has knocked Julia for six and it has had an adverse effect on her health. She is absolutely devastated."

As the reports came out, Richard tweeted: "I expected a mixed bag of reaction – thanks for the support. There are many inaccuracies in the reports today – but I expected that also."

However, in 2019, Richard – who shares Jemma and Josh with ex-wife Julia – denied leaving his wife while she was ill.

He told The Athletic: "I'll mention the unmentionable for you. Did I leave my wife fighting cancer? No.

"I don't know what happened. I don't know why our marriage ended the way it did, but my wife was fighting cancer for seven years before I left her and she had been in remission for seven years.

Inside Richard Keys 'devastated' family from wife's cancer to alcoholic daughterJemma Keys (left) said she was friends with Lucie Rose (right)
Inside Richard Keys 'devastated' family from wife's cancer to alcoholic daughterJemma hit rock bottom after news of her dad Richard's affair

"She and I went to London every day of her fight, prior to a ground-breaking operation that saw her in a period of recovery."

Today, Richard reaffirmed that Julia had been in remission for seven years when their marriage dissolved.

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In April 2018, Julia discussed her husband's affair in her book The MANScript, claiming it had destroyed her family.

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."

Today, a source said Julia only learned of her ex's marriage when he texted her two hours before.

And Gemma told theDaily Mail in 2018 how the episode had plunged her into the lowest depths of her long battle with alcoholism.

Inside Richard Keys 'devastated' family from wife's cancer to alcoholic daughterLucie Rose is said to have met Richard while they were in Doha, Qatar

She claimed the family were on holiday together in St Ives, Cornwall, when Julie discovered a series of "intimate" messages with another woman on Richard's phone.

Jemma said: "I heard Mum shouting, 'your father's been having an affair'. My heart stopped. Then I asked, 'with who?"

Jemma was later arrested after she was accused of sending Lucie abusive messages during an "alcoholic blackout", referring to her as "the filthiest sl**" and a "Qatar w****".

One message stated: "I'm watching every move you make. You don't know what's coming."

She was arrested by three police officers wearing body armour who took her away in her pyjamas.

Inside Richard Keys 'devastated' family from wife's cancer to alcoholic daughterJemma was heartbroken by the 'betrayal' (Twitter)
Inside Richard Keys 'devastated' family from wife's cancer to alcoholic daughterJulia Keys was in remission from thyroid cancer at the time (S Meddle/ITV/REX/Shutterstock)

Jemma was charged with harassing her former friend and she faced up to six months behind bars, but the charges were sensationally dropped before the trial's scheduled start.

Prosecutors discontinued the case after a CPS review of the evidence, with Richard today revealing that it was Lucie who dropped the charges.

Later, Jemma said she was "mortified" by her behaviour, insisting that despite the "betrayal", she couldn't "justify" what she did.

She said: "All I can say is that it was 18 months down the line from finding out about the affair – which was the most awful betrayal – and I'd hit the lowest, darkest point of my addiction.

"The revelation had come so completely out of the blue. I was under the illusion Lucie was the complete opposite of the person she's turned out to be – there was never any inkling she'd do something like this."

Speaking to The Sun, she said: "Of course, I can't justify what I did. But I felt like my father had been stolen from me, and the affair genuinely has destroyed my family and my relationship with Dad.

"He had been my idol all of my life and, although I still love him, I don't know who he is any more. I have nothing to say to him."

But that wasn't the last time alcohol got Jemma in trouble. In August, 2018, a court heard how she downed six shots of gin before flight attendants had even started serving the next row of passengers.

The self-confessed alcoholic admitted being drunk on an aircraft after it emerged she knocked back six gin miniatures and begged other passengers to buy booze for her when staff cut off her supply.

Crawley Magistrates' Court heard Keys downed the drinks just half an hour into her flight back to London Gatwick after holidaying in Greece with her boyfriend in July 20198.

Her lawyer told the court that she had been teetotal for seven weeks before the flight and was the victim of a 'controlling and aggressive' on/off boyfriend who had bought her the drinks.

Her partner had ordered the three double gins and a small bottle of tonic, which were promptly necked by Keys.

The court heard Keys had 'no recollection of the flight. She admitted one count of being drunk on an aircraft and was conditionally discharged for two years.

John Bett

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