Richard Keys has again taken a dig at Sky Sports’ decision to keep Jamie Carragher on air after joking that “it’s OK to spit at teenagers”.
Keys and her former colleague Andy Gray left their positions at Sky after a series of sexist conversations were detected and leaked in January 2011 when they thought their microphones were turned off.
But Carragher, after spending some time away from British television screens after being caught on camera spitting from his car window at another driver, was welcomed back by broadcasters shortly after the controversy in 2018.
Both Keys and Gray have since left the UK and are now the face of Premier League coverage in the Middle East and North Africa with beIN Sports, while Carragher remains one of Sky’s leading pundits.
Now, Keys has slammed the decision, saying there is “no comparison” as to which of the two incidents is worse.
Richard Keys (left) criticised Sky Sports’ decision to keep Jamie Carragher as a commentator
In 2018, the former Liverpool star was suspended from his commentary duties for five months.
Carragher was caught on video spitting at a car carrying a man and a 14-year-old girl.
Talking about Obi One’s PodcastKeys said: “If it’s OK to spit on teenagers and carry on working, then great. To me, that was a much more serious offence, but I’m not going to judge that!”
“I was glad he wasn’t fired because it gave me a chance to tell them, when you consider what happened to us, the ‘crimes’ we were accused of (and accepted) and what he did in the movie… there is no comparison.”
Gray then chimed in, adding, “But he was given a second chance and no one is opposed to that!”
In 2011, Keys and Gray were sacked by Sky when a catalogue of sexist comments were revealed following the furore that followed comments about match referee Sian Massey-Ellis.
He later claimed Massey-Ellis referred to those comments as “jokes” and says he is in regular contact with the 34-year-old.
“Someone should go there and explain to him about offside,” Keys had said before Wolves’ Premier League match against Liverpool.
Gray replied: “Can you believe it? A female linesman. That’s why I said it: women don’t know the offside rule.”
Keys then added: “Of course not… Urrghhh! The game has gone crazy.”
Meanwhile, Keys asked Sky commentator Jamie Redknapp if she had “ripped him up” when talking about an ex-girlfriend and said “you’d have gone there any night and found Redknapp hanging out the back”.
In March 2018, Carragher was suspended by Sky Sports after the former Liverpool defender was filmed spitting through his car window at a man who had been taunting him. The spit hit the man’s 14-year-old daughter, who was in the passenger seat.
The man had mocked Carragher over Manchester United’s win over Liverpool after spotting the Sky analyst driving along the same road in his Range Rover.
In 2011, Keys and her former colleague Andy Gray (left) were sacked from Sky when a catalogue of sexist comments was revealed.
Keys said there was “no comparison” between his “crimes” and those faced by Carragher.
A devastated Carragher went on Sky News, ITV and the BBC to offer his effusive apologies, calling it “a four or five second moment of madness that is hard to explain. I feel like I’ve left my body… I’ve brought disgrace to the name of Sky Sports.”
Keys and Carragher have previously clashed on social media after the former Sky Sports presenter accused Carragher of being an “almost absolute racist” for thinking the England national team should always be managed by an Englishman.
Back in 2022, after EnglandElimination from the World Cup at the hands of France, Gareth Southgate was considering his future On the bench.
Thomas Tuchel, Mauricio Pochettino and Brendan Rodgers have all been mentioned as possible replacements if Southgate leaves, but Carragher insisted none of the trio should be considered due to their nationality.
“The England manager should always be English!” Carragher tweeted.
The former Liverpool defender’s remarks caused a stir on social media and Keys lashed out at Carragher for his comments.
“What kind of nonsense is this? It’s almost racism,” Keys responded.
They previously clashed when Carragher said England’s manager should always be English, before Keys claimed the opinion on the matter “borders on racism”.
Carragher responded, suggesting Keys was simply bitter about losing her job as a Sky presenter.
“The England manager should be the best person available. England should not hide behind borders and closed minds.”
Carragher was not prepared to take Keys’ criticism lying down, calling the 65-year-old a “sad, desperate man.”
“This is bordering on racism. I hope you send similar tweets to many journalists who have the same opinion, or it’s because I work for Sky!” he replied.
“You are a sad and desperate man.”
