Former Sky Sports pundit admits he nearly killed himself after broadcaster sacked him

Former Sky Sports pundit Andy Gray admits this week that he nearly killed himself in his garden after the broadcaster sacked him.

Many will recall the time Gray and Richard Keys were made to leave Sky in January 2011 after being caught on film making sexist comments with derogatory and misogynistic words made about referee Sian Massey-Ellis and the fitness of women to officiate at matches.

Keys said: “Somebody better get down there and explain offside to her (Massey),” to which Gray replied: “Yeah, I know. Can you believe that? Female linesman. Forget what I said – they probably don’t know the offside rule.”

Keys then could be heard saying: “Course they don’t” to which Gray responded: “Why is there a female linesman? Somebody’s f***** up big.”

The 66-year-old, who made appearance for the likes of Aston Villa, Wolves and Everton across 17 years, sparked huge backlash when the video showing the remarks was leaked.

Alongside Keys, he eventually left for Qatar, where they have been working for beIN Sports since June 2013, but that came after he went through a time of having low thoughts, which he has spoken about in an interview with Piers Morgan for TalkTV.

“I suddenly found myself in a really dark place,” he said, speaking alongside Keys in Doha. “The house surrounded by people. And I knew I had done something wrong, of course I did, but I couldn’t compute it.

“My head was gone. If it hadn’t been for my wife, I don’t know what would have happened. I really don’t. Rachel was amazing.

“I was close to going down the garden, where I used to have a pond, with a little bottle and a few pills. I was that bad, one day – that bad, yeah… really weird, but I’m through it now.”

Gray adds that the thoughts were brought on by the media attention, with the press standing outside his house for two weeks, recalling that the experience as “horrible” and “really weird” though said he was “through it now” thanks to his wife, family and friends who stuck by him.

Keys also alluded to similar thoughts, adding: “You can’t explain, you look back now with a clear head and, you go, ‘What, come on, what are you thinking?’”

Back in 2011, Keys apologised for what he described as “prehistoric banter” which was “not acceptable in a modern world” and later personally phoned Massey to apologise further.

When asked by Morgan is he regretted his words, Keys said: “Of course, yes. I questioned whether a young lady from Coventry, my hometown, would know the offside law as she made her debut. A female linesman.

“I on air, because I wasn’t sure who her father was, as we went to kick-off, said – ‘and we also have a female assistant, good luck to her, I don’t know I may have gone to school with her dad, she’s from my manor. All the very best to her.’”

Keys also claims that it was Massey-Ellis that put the idea of the word ‘banter’ in his mind which led him to a misguided attempt to defend his actions and now says he “hates” the word.

Keys describes how he struggled to process why he had been the supposed victim of a witch hunt.

“I hate the word banter. I’d never used it. But Sian said it to me and I suppose that was in my head,” he said.

“At the time when you’re on the defensive, cause you can’t get your head round what’s going on. It’s an extraordinary place to be. You’ve set the dogs on many in a different role and you’ve been on the receiving end. It’s a terrible place to be.”

Full transcript of Richard Keys and Andy Gray’s interview

Piers Morgan: Do you regret?

Richard Keys: Of course, yes. I questioned whether a young lady from Coventry, my hometown, would know the offside law as she made her debut. A female linesman. I on air, because I wasn’t sure who her father was, as we went to kick-off said – ‘and we also have a female assistant, good luck to her, I don’t know I may have gone to school with her dad, she’s from my manor. All the very best to her.’ She made a number of errors first half that I was insistent we didn’t show. Nor did we. She got one absolutely spot on, the goal that was scored against Liverpool. When I spoke to her the following day, she was great. She said, ‘Hey come on!’ Of course [I rang her to apologise]. She more than accepted it and said, ‘I expected this last week, it’s just a bit of fun, come on Keys.’ I’d never really come across the word banter. She said: ‘Oh come on it’s just banter.’ That I suppose stuck in my mind. I said, ‘No, no, Sian this is really serious now. It’s got a life of its own. I have to make this an official apology on behalf of myself and Andy.’ She said: ‘Oh by the way a couple of things first half that you didn’t show, thanks for that!’ We’re not in that business! In isolation, my questioning whether she knew the offside law was unacceptable.

Keys: I hate the word banter. I’d never used it. But Sian said it to me and I suppose that was in my head. At the time when you’re on the defensive, cause you can’t get your head round what’s going on. It’s an extraordinary place to be. You’ve set the dogs on many in a different role and you’ve been on the receiving end. It’s a terrible place to be.

Keys: Yes. I would’ve accepted quicker that what people were saying to me was accurate and I would’ve understood sooner that what happened shouldn’t have done. You’re not in that place. I’ve said many times to friends, given the same circumstances, of course I would’ve done things differently. You have to factor in mental health, which people too quickly dismiss, less so now. For the first time in my life I found myself in a very difficult place and I couldn’t get my head round it. It didn’t seem that significant to start the forest fire that was engulfing us.

Andy Gray: Yeah. I’m serious. I’ve had a wonderful life, fortunate, lucky. I played 17 years as a footballer, glorious. The last two were a bit iffy I’ll give you that! Then I went to work in the sport I love for a new broadcaster that was about to revolutionise football in the way it did and had 20 years there. I suddenly found myself in a really dark place. The house surrounded by people. I knew I had done something wrong, of course I did, but I couldn’t compute it. My head was gone. If I hadn’t had my wife, I don’t know what I’d have done. Rachel is amazing, wonderful. I was close to going down the garden where I used to have a pond with a little bottle and a few pills. I was gonna nip down, I was that bad one day… Yeah. People know me will think, ‘You’re kidding.’ But it was horrible. Horrible. I couldn’t work it out. I knew I’d done wrong but for two weeks I couldn’t get out of the house, just surrounded by press and TV cameras and friends. Weird, really weird. But we’re through it now, I’m through it now. Yeah Rachel and the kids [saved me], and pals, you know, friends. You learn who your friends are when something like that happens, I think we both did.

Keys: I was there too! You’ve no idea. Mental health, he’s right, you can’t explain. You look back now with a clear head and you go, ‘Come on what you thinking.’ But when you’re in that place, and I used to have to leave my garden through the back gate and go to a local nursery that was close by and get a taxi. I flew out here because Nasser Al-Khelaifi who I’d worked with earlier, 2008, wanted me to join then and I should’ve done but I was too comfortable. He said, ‘Nobody is talking about it out here, why don’t you come out here?’ Then the heat got too much and I felt I had to back away for us because it was going to bring too much attention to this country. They didn’t need our problems at that time. We put it on a burner so in effect we lost two jobs in two weeks, one of them of our own volition.

If you or someone you know is struggling and needs to talk, call the free Samaritans helpline 24/7 on 116 123. You can also email jo@samaritans.org or find your local branch online.

This is how fans reacted as the former Sky Sports pundit admits he nearly killed himself after the broadcaster sacked him…

@sparker1980: Love to see him back on sky sports , we all make mistakes in life , plenty more people have made bigger mistakes than that

@Treesmurf: To be fair he’d spit right in with Jamie Carragher

@superblob: But it was only banter

@ONeillCarmel: I’m a Celebrity contestants for 2023…

@AdamAdamburns: Andy Gray is one of the best commentators and analysts football has ever had. Such a shame he let himself down. Rightly sacked.

@GregFee5: Unfortunately Richard didn’t actually recall everything that he said. If you had played the exact recording it would have put a totally diffferent complexion on the issue. I loved listening to Gray & Kets but what they said was indefensible. Listen to it in full.

@jayrad198900: Richard Keys who left his wife with cancer for his daughters best friend, and Andy Gray who started shagging his best mates wife and has 5 kids with 4 different women. Stay classy

@jeremysteane: If Piers Morgan was true to form, he’d accuse Andy Gray of lying about his mental state and then storm off the set. But Andy Gray isn’t a black woman married to Prince Harry, so I guess not

@BryanClarkey84: Sky knew it was was wrong but was it any worse than spitting in a child’s face. sky knew it was time to move on with a younger generation of pundits and used it as the excuse to move on simple as. As they we do the same with these pundits now

@MartinWengrow: What a horrendous trio!

@pcardno: I thought people saying they felt suicidal are to be disbelieved and mocked, Piers? Or is that only if it’s certain people?

@avfcPJR: I can never understand how Andy Gray has stuck with someone like Richard Keys for such a long time. Keys has got to be one of the biggest c*nts in sports media.