BBC commentator brands Richard Keys an 'unemployable dinosaur' over Match of the Day attack

BBC commentator Dan O’Hagan has publicly rounded on Richard Keys, calling him an “unemployable dinosaur” after the former Sky Sports presenter dismissed Match of the Day as irrelevant in the social media age on his new podcast, Keys & Gray Unleashed.

Keys, who spent 13 years at beIN SPORTS in Qatar alongside co-host Andy Gray following their 2011 sacking by Sky for making sexist comments, argued that the BBC’s Premier League highlights programme had outlived its usefulness. “Match of the Day is a programme well past its sell-by date,” Keys said. “By the time it goes to air everybody knows what’s happened in the day. Highlights are available from 5.15 on most social media outlets.”

He also took aim at the £390,000–£394,999-a-year punditry fee earned by Alan Shearer, and concluded with a pointed dig at the corporation: “The BBC still think they cover football better than anyone else. Not since 1992 guys.”

O’Hagan, who has worked as a commentator on Match of the Day and other BBC sports highlights programmes, was unsparing in his response on X. “So, this is to be their format then,” he wrote. “A pair of old, unemployable dinosaurs saying mildly controversial things for clicks. No better than the YouTubers or the s***-takes-for-likes influencers. Quite sad really, especially as Gray was genuinely the best co-commentator around.”

The row arrives at an already unsettled moment for Match of the Day. Gary Lineker, who presented the programme from 1999 to 2025, stepped down last summer, with Kelly Cates, Mark Chapman and Gabby Logan sharing presenting duties this season. Reports have also emerged of internal tensions over BBC director of sport Alex Kay-Jelski’s plans to reshape the show’s format.

Amid those reports, suggestions that Shearer had agreed to cut his appearances to once a month were denied by the BBC. “The suggestion that Alan is reducing his Match of the Day appearances because of the director of sport is untrue,” a spokesperson said. Shearer himself added: “Cutting back my MOTD appearances is something we’ve been discussing for some time and purely so I can have some weekends back.”