'Shamed... really?!' - Angry Richard Keys reacts to coverage of his marriage to 35-year-old Lucie Rose with strongly-worded statement attacking the media

• Presenter making headlines again
• Wedding generating a lot of interest
• Criticism addressed by Keys

WHAT HAPPENED? The 66-year-old, who tied the knot with his 35-year-old bride last week, has been dominating headlines once again. It has been claimed that Keys, who severed ties with Sky in 2011 and has been working for Al Jazeera and beIN Sports since then, left his wife of 36 years – who was recovering from thyroid cancer at the time – in order to pair up with the then 28-year-old friend of his daughter, Jemma. Keys and Rose are now man and wife, with criticism of their coupling being addressed in a strongly-worded statement.

WHAT THEY SAID: Keys has said in a post on his personal blog: “My goodness - for someone that the Press have wanted cancelled for a long time now there’s an awful lot of interest in me and my wife today. ‘Shamed’ they constantly scream. Really? Mistakes were made at the time and I’ve addressed them previously. ‘Shamed’ - all these years on? Why the anger guys? It’s not healthy. What actually are you trying to achieve?”

He added: “When my first marriage collapsed my wife was not suffering with cancer. She’d been seven years in remission after a dreadful scare - one she managed with dignity and bravery. And I was with her every step of the way. She is still very much alive and well, although it is true that cancer sufferers always need to be careful about their health.”

THE BIGGER PICTURE: Keys went on to say, as he covered a number of different issues: “Lucie was never my daughter's friend - let alone her best friend. They met twice. The circumstances don’t matter - at this stage. That’s something else I’ll address going forward. Lucie has her own high-powered career and doesn’t need the nonsense that she’s reading today. She and her employers - two big multi-National companies - have been incredible during our time together. They have shown amazing support to her. Who is Lucie Rose? What does it matter? The break-up of my first marriage did not ‘wreck’ my children’s lives. One was 28 - the other 32. Covid didn’t previously postpone the wedding. I’m sorry you missed the official ceremony last Thursday guys.”

IN A PHOTO:

WHAT NEXT? Keys, who will be back on beIN Sports as part of their Premier League coverage in 2023-24, is now set to honeymoon in Canada with his new wife.