Keys' wife backs her shamed husband - The Sun

SHAMED TV soccer presenter Richard Keys was defended yesterday by his wife - who dismissed his sexist jibes at women as "boys' banter".

But Julia Keys risked being a little guilty of sexist stereotyping herself when she said: "As a man, there are bits of you that never grow up."

Angry Julia, 51, branded bosses at Sky Sports "offside" over their handling of the scandal that cost her husband of 28 years and colleague Andy Gray their jobs.

She waded into the row after anchor man Keys, 53, quit and Sky pundit Gray, 55 was sacked. The pair sparked a storm with boorish remarks about a girl referee and crude behaviour in the studio.

Julia, wearing black leather studded boots and accompanied by her two dogs, served tea to reporters and photographers outside her house in Chobham, Surrey.

As her husband kept a low profile, she predicted it would not be the end of his career after two decades as the front man of Sky Sports' football coverage.

She said: "I feel the wrong two guys were given the red card.

"It doesn't quite make sense and I think Sky was offside in the way it handled it. It's really sad. They contributed so much, putting Sky on the map. Whether you like them personally or not, professionally there's very few who would knock them.

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"It's very sad after the career Richard has had that it has come to this but I do not see it as being the end of it."

Keys and ex-Everton and Scotland star Gray accused assistant referee Sian Massey of "not understanding the offside rule" before she ran the line in Saturday's Wolves v Liverpool Premier League clash.

Then leaked videos showed leering Gray asking co-presenter Charlotte Jackson to tuck a mike into his trousers and Keys describing a girl as "it" and asking if she had been "smashed" - a vile term for sex.

Mrs Keys insisted: "It's banter from the boys. What people do not understand is the dynamics in the studio. Richard is very aware of it is not relaxed unless there are playful shenanigans."

Old pictures emerged yesterday of Keys - who quit on Wednesday - at a male grooming session and in cycling kit while he was with TV AM.

He had admitted being a "sexual bully" in a radio interview. Gray, sacked on Tuesday, is considering a 3million unfair dismissal claim.

Jeremy Darroch, chief executive of Sky, told The Sun yesterday: "I am very disappointed. It's not acceptable behaviour and we had to act."

Sian Massey has been withdrawn from refereeing her first match since the row erupted.

The 25-year-old was due to officiate at a Blue Square League game between Corby Town and Eastwood on Saturday.

She was also relieved of running the line at the Crewe-Bradford League Two match on Tuesday.

n.parker@the-sun.co.uk