Karen Brady blasts departing Richard Keys

Richard Keys walked away from his job as Sky's football anchorman with a parting shot from West Ham vice-chairman Karren Brady that the presenter had "added insult to injury".

Keys quit as Sky's football anchorman yesterday after claiming that "dark forces" were at work in the sexism scandal that had already cost fellow presenter Andy Gray his job.

Keys apologised for making the disparaging remarks about female assistant referee Sian Massey but insisted he was prevented from making his apology public. He described the comments as "lads mag banter" and claimed that Brady, about whom he had also made sexist remarks, had not returned his calls.

Brady said however: "Perhaps Richard thought I was too busy making the tea and washing up to take his call but a cursory glance at the weekend's newspapers or television would have made him well aware that I was heavily occupied with the West Ham and Newham Council Olympic Stadium bid.

"West Ham's future in the Olympic Stadium is of far more significance to me than his future.

"It is most unfortunate that he has chosen to add insult to injury by suggesting that this incident has done me a favour by getting West Ham out of the press, as after all I did not ask to be part of his sexist tirade.

"This is not about an apology to me, but about an apology to all women. Richard represents views that myself and those who work in the business of football find totally dinosaur."

Announcing his resignation, Keys said: "I am deeply sorry for my remarks and the offence they have caused; it was wrong and should not have happened. I have thought long and hard and reached the decision that it is time to move on.

"Going forward without Andy would have been almost impossible."

Keys had earlier suggested some within Sky Sports have been working against him. Two damaging video clips apparently obtained internally have been posted on the internet this week.

Keys told talkSPORT: "There are some dark forces at work here.

"I rang Sian on Sunday an apologised. I realised how deeply wrong we were. Having done that I asked 'could we make people aware that of that fact we had a conversation and that both parties felt it was right to move on'. I was told 'no'.

"Then 24 hours had passed by which time the world had gone mad.

"I don't know why I was told 'no' and stopped from telling people what I had done."

Gray was sacked yesterday after a video clip showed him making inappropriate remarks to another presenter, Charlotte Jackson.

Keys suggested that his and Gray's high profile may have led to the pair making enemies.

"With success comes envy," he added. "The clips you have seen are fairly selective. They have targeted two individuals.

"There is a row going on over phone tapping at the moment. What's the difference? If off-air conversations were made public then there would be no one left working in the country."

Keys said he had also tried to ring Brady to apologise.

He said: "I tried to ring her twice to say sorry and she didn't take my call, I don't know why. She knows what a mess they made trying to appoint Martin O'Neill, she was getting it in the neck and she claimed that was she was because she's a woman, she played that card, rightly or wrongly. My view was 'oh come on do me a favour' but it was a view which I held which did not come out in a manner that was acceptable. It was wrong again."