Richard Keys
{{Short description|British TV sports presenter (born 1957)}}
{{About|the English sports presenter|the American painter|Richard Keyes}}
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{{Use British English|date=May 2021}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2021}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Richard Keys
| image = Richard keys wiki.jpg
| caption = Keys in 2011
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1957|4|23|df=y}}
| birth_place = Coventry, Warwickshire, England
| death_date =
| death_place =
| occupation = Sports reporter
| years active = 1976–present
| television = {{ubl|TV-am|Sky Sports|talkSPORT|Al Jazeera|BeIN Sports}}
| education =
| alma mater =
| title =
| children =
| spouse = Lucie Rose (2023–)
| partner =
| website = {{URL|richardajkeys.com}}
}}
Richard Keys (born 23 April 1957) is an English sports presenter who has worked for BBC, ITV, Channel 4, Sky, Talksport, Al Jazeera, Fox Sports, ESPN Star Sports and BeIN Sports; he has presented many top-level football matches.{{cite web|url=http://worldsoccertalk.com/2010/01/10/andy-gray-and-richard-keys-added-to-fox-soccer-channel-world-cup-coverage/ |title=Andy Gray and Richard Keys Added to Fox Soccer Channel World Cup Coverage |work=World Soccer Talk |date=10 January 2010 |access-date=17 August 2013 |last=Harris |first=Christopher |url-status=dead |archive-date=27 September 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190927144842/http://worldsoccertalk.com/2010/01/10/andy-gray-and-richard-keys-added-to-fox-soccer-channel-world-cup-coverage/}}
Career
His career started in London in 1976 when he began working for the Fleet Street Sports Agency Hayter's{{cite web|url=http://hayters.com/pages/about.html |title=Hayters Teamwork |publisher=Hayters.com |access-date=17 August 2013}} until 1978, when he moved to Liverpool and worked at Radio City as a football commentator.
In 1982, he moved to Manchester to work at Piccadilly Radio as sports editor and football commentator. In 1984 Keys moved back to London, where he joined the ITV network as one of the main anchors of breakfast show TV-am.{{cite web|url=http://www.tv-am.org.uk/presenters |title=Presenter Profiles |publisher=TV-am |access-date=17 August 2013}} While working at TV-am he also commentated on football matches for ITV and cycling for Channel 4, including two Tours de France.
Keys was one of the presenters for the Sports Channel on British Satellite Broadcasting (BSB) in spring 1990. When BSB merged with Sky in 1991, the channel was renamed Sky Sports. He presented TV-am for the last time on 28 December 1990 before leaving for Sky Sports. {{citation needed|date=April 2020}}
He presented Sky Sports coverage{{cite web|url=http://metro.co.uk/2009/10/27/richard-keys-635875/ |title=Richard Keys |work=Metro|location=UK |date=27 October 2009 |access-date=17 August 2013}} of Premier League football since the league's inception in 1992. He was the presenter of the flagship Super Sunday and also presented Sky's Monday Night Football, which coincided with Sky gaining rights for the UEFA Champions League. Later he fronted all of Sky Sports' Champions League coverage.
In 2008, Keys also presented the UEFA Euro 2008 for Al Jazeera Sports.{{citation needed|date=April 2020}}
=Departure from Sky Sports=
In January 2011, Keys left Sky Sports after making derogatory comments about female assistant referee Sian Massey. His off-air comments about Massey and the fitness of women to officiate at football matches were recorded and leaked. Further clips were leaked showing co-presenter Andy Gray and Keys behaving in a sexist manner.{{cite news |last=Gibson |first=Owen |title=Richard Keys resigns from Sky Sports after sexism storm |url=https://www.theguardian.com/football/2011/jan/26/richard-keys-resigns-sky-sports |access-date=11 January 2014 |newspaper=The Guardian |date=26 January 2011}}
Keys apologised and said: "Prehistoric banter isn't acceptable in the modern world. I accept that. We failed to change when the world has changed."
Keys later joined talkSPORT radio,{{cite web |url=http://www.talksport.co.uk/radio/presenter/richard-keys |title=Richard Keys |publisher=talkSPORT |access-date=17 August 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130524184344/http://www.talksport.co.uk/radio/presenter/richard-keys |archive-date=24 May 2013 |url-status=dead}} where he presented on Saturday evenings. Later in 2011, Keys returned to television broadcasting launching the boxing channel BoxNation{{Cite web |url=http://www.touchline.tv/tv/boxing/richard-keys-returns-to-tv-with-boxnation |title=Richard Keys returns to TV with BoxNation | touchline.tv |archive-url=https://archive.today/20121203014826/http://www.touchline.tv/tv/boxing/richard-keys-returns-to-tv-with-boxnation |archive-date=3 December 2012 |url-status=dead}} with boxing promoter Frank Warren.
= Al Jazeera, beIN Sports and Talksport=
In June 2013, Al Jazeera agreed a contract with Keys and Andy Gray. They present English and European football coverage from Doha, Qatar, including the Premier League, UEFA Champions League, and FA Cup.
Coverage started for the 2013–14 season while they continued to present their TalkSport show from Qatar.
Keys and Gray are the mainstays of the football coverage on BeIN Sports channels, which broadcasts all 380 Premier League games per season.{{Cite web|date=2021-05-11|title=Richard Keys: Andy Gray and I were 'set-up' before Sky Sports departure|url=https://punditarena.com/football/daniel-hussey/richard-keys-sky-sports-talksport-departure/|access-date=2021-08-15|website=Pundit Arena|language=en-GB}}
Since 2013, Keys has maintained a blog{{Cite web |title=Blog |url=https://www.richardajkeys.com/index.php/blog |access-date=2024-08-19 |website=www.richardajkeys.com}} on his personal website that is often referenced in sports media.{{Cite web |last=Davies |first=Callum |date=2024-08-13 |title=Richard Keys outlines the one thing that could finally relegate Everton this season |url=https://www.everton.news/richard-keys-outlines-the-one-thing-that-could-finally-relegate-everton-this-season/ |access-date=2024-08-19 |website=Everton News |language=en-GB}}{{Cite web |last=Wilks |first=Mitchell |date=2023-11-08 |title=Send help - we've found ourselves agreeing with Richard Keys' blog and we're scared |url=https://www.planetfootball.com/trending/send-help-richard-keys-blog-post-arsenal-newcastle-var |access-date=2024-08-19 |website=Planet Football |language=en}}
Personal life
From the age of four, Richard Keys had a passion for football, ever since his father took him to watch Coventry City play Swansea Town in the old Third Division. He was educated at the now-defunct Whitley Abbey Comprehensive School, where he was head boy.{{Cite web |url=http://www.richardajkeys.com/richard-keys/about-richard |title=About Richard - Richard Keys - Richard Keys Personal Website |access-date=24 February 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140302193816/http://www.richardajkeys.com/richard-keys/about-richard |archive-date=2 March 2014 |url-status=dead}}
Richard Keys married his first wife Julia in 1982 and they had two children together. Julia filed for divorce in 2016 due to Richard Keys's alleged infidelity.{{Cite news |last=Sawer |first=Patrick |date=2017-01-28 |title=Richard Keys' wife brands ex-Sky presenter a 'pathological liar' amid claims of continued affair with younger woman |language=en-GB |work=The Telegraph |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/01/28/ex-sky-presenter-richard-keys-wifes-fury/ |access-date=2023-06-28 |issn=0307-1235}}
In November 2000, Keys was heard to make a racially motivated comment about footballer David Johnson while broadcasting live on a Sky test channel. While discussing Johnson's potential eligibility to play for the Scotland national team with pundits Ray Wilkins and Graeme Souness, Keys referred to Johnson as a "choco jocko". The incident was brought to the public eye in February 2011, following Keys' departure from Sky for various other inappropriate remarks.{{cite news |title=Richard Keys accused of making racist comments towards black footballer ahead of TalkSport debut |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/news/8322633/Richard-Keys-accused-of-making-racist-comments-towards-black-footballer-ahead-of-TalkSport-debut.html |work=The Telegraph|publisher=Telegraph Media Group |date=14 February 2011 |access-date=24 February 2014 }}
In June 2023, Keys married Lucie Rose,{{cite web |last1=O'Connor |first1=Roisin |title=Sports presenter Richard Keys, 66, ‘marries daughter’s ex-best friend’, 35 |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/richard-keys-lucie-rose-wedding-age-gap-b2365708.html |website=The Independent |access-date=29 June 2023 |language=en |date=28 June 2023}} a lawyer 32 years his junior. It has been alleged that Lucie was his daughter's best friend, but he has denied this.{{cite web |last1=Bannerman |first1=Lucy |title=Richard Keys denies new wife was his daughter’s best friend |url=https://www.thetimes.com/sport/football/article/this-article-has-been-removed-06j526rsm |website=The Times |access-date=29 June 2023 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20230628234105/https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/richard-keys-daughter-wife-affair-sky-sports-girlfriend-06j526rsm |archive-date=28 June 2023 |language=en |url-status=live |date=28 June 2023}}
Awards
In 2002, Keys received an honorary doctorate from Coventry University for outstanding services to sports broadcasting.{{cite web |title=Honorary Doctorates |url=https://www.coventry.ac.uk/the-university/alumni/honorary-graduates/ |website=www.coventry.ac.uk |access-date=27 July 2024}}{{cite web |title=An honour for Richard |url=https://www.coventrytelegraph.net/news/coventry-news/an-honour-for-richard-3167970 |website=Coventry Live |access-date=27 July 2024 |language=en |date=13 November 2002}}
In 2012, Keys and Andy Gray received the best sports programme prize for their talkSPORT show at the Sony Radio Academy Awards.{{cite web|url=https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/andy-gray-and-richard-keys-win-833233 |title=Andy Gray and Richard Keys win Sony Radio Academy Award for best sports programme|work=Mirror|date=14 May 2012 |access-date=17 August 2013}}
Charity work
Keys and Geoff Shreeves have helped to raise money for Nordoff-Robbins, a musical charity for children with autism.{{cite web |url=http://footballextravaganza.org/about/ |title=About FE | Money Raised |publisher=Football Extravaganza |access-date=17 August 2013 |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131203065937/http://footballextravaganza.org/about/ |archive-date=3 December 2013}}{{cite web|url=http://marshall.photoshelter.com/gallery/FE-Dinner-2012-Premier-League-at-20/G00002sA4c8LoUk0/ |title=FE Dinner 2012 Premier League at 20 – Images | John Marshall (JM Enternational) |publisher=Marshall.photoshelter.com |date=12 April 2012 |access-date=17 August 2013}}
Keys is a patron of the Willow Foundation, a charity for people with special needs, founded by the former Arsenal goalkeeper Bob Wilson in memory of his late daughter.{{cite web |url=http://www.willowfoundation.org.uk/WhoWeAre/CelebritySupporters/RichardKeys |title=Richard Keys |publisher=Willowfoundation.org.uk |access-date=17 August 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130922003849/http://www.willowfoundation.org.uk/WhoWeAre/CelebritySupporters/RichardKeys |archive-date=22 September 2013}}
References
{{Reflist|30em}}
External links
- {{IMDb name|id=1694039|name=Richard Keys}}
{{TalkSport|state=collapsed}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Keys, Richard}}
Category:British association football commentators
Category:English association football commentators