Micah Richards reveals little-known clothing rules he has to follow while working on TV
Micah Richards has revealed the clothing rules he follows on television and one which he imposed on himself.
The former Manchester City and England defender is one of the most prolific broadcasters around, working regularly for the BBC, Sky Sports, CBS Sports and the Rest is Football on Netflix.
The busiest pundit in the business is one of the most infectious personalities on our screens and instantly won over Roy Keane, the two performing an unlikely duo after his infamous "burst onto the scene".
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Richards retains the same charm amongst all the major broadcasters he works but does alter his act for each audience - with his 'Big Meeks' persona coming out in full force on CBS' 'Golazo' Champions League show.
But the 38-year-old also mixes up his on-screen attire through his outfits depending on who he is working for.
Micah Richards reveals little-known clothing rules he has to follow while working on TV
Richards, who now has a brand new George at Asda collection, has had his fair share of loud, statement outfits over the years but he is now in an era where less is more.
And after feeling as though he had put a bit of weight on, he decided that certain colours would be banned from his wardrobe when on TV as he instead opts for blues, dark blues, blacks and greys.
Those bright colours only come out on the biggest occasions and Richards also revealed the colour he cannot when in the BBC studio because of the green screen - the one that hit headlines at the 2026 World Cup.
“I think about a year ago, you'll have seen in some of the stuff when I was doing during punditry, I put on a bit of timber," Richards told SPORTbible.
“I was wearing colours that was making me look even bigger. You know what I mean? Not that I have anything against it!
“I'm supposed to be like a machine and I was looking at some camera angles and I was like, ‘Ooh!’.
“If you look at me now, I wear a lot of blues, dark blues, a lot of blacks and a lot of greys.
“You won't really find me wearing bright colours unless it's like a special event or some sort of like Champions League final or World Cup final. whatever it may be. Yeah, I stick to like basic colours, I would say.”
He continued: “With Sky, initially we were all in suits, that's what we have to wear.
“And then they had to go a little bit more casual, I don't know, it feels like sometimes in the studio when you’ve got suits on it, it feels a bit serious and a little bit stiff.”
“CBS, you always wear suits because that's what we did from the start. BBC is always like casual. With the BBC I can’t wear green because it’s a green screen.
“If I’m doing Super Sunday or Saturday, it'd be more smart, casual.
“I'm always thinking about what we are wearing, whether we're going to be in the studio,, whether we're going to be outside or whatnot. I just mix it up depending on what the game is going to be.
“If it’s early rounds in the FA Cup, I'll go with more boots and a coat or whatever it may be - just the look to match whatever the game is going to be essentially.”
Micah Richards names the best and worst dressed pundits and who gives him most stick
Richards' rubs shoulders with an array of pundits across the board and comes across a range of different styles. But there are two usual suspects who Richards considers to be leading the pundit fashion power rankings.
He said: “I would say a mixture between Jamie Redknapp and Thierry Henry. They both scrub up well.
“If we’re talking about younger dress sense, Daniel Sturridge, he’s cool.”
Redknapp, who co-founded the Sandbanks clothing which has taken off, is the pundit who gives Richards the most stick for what he wears. He won't accept criticism from Gary Neville - though he does acknowledge some improvements in his fashion of late.
"We’ve got the same guy we use our suits for," Richards stated.
He’ll be telling me to, ‘Sit up straight’ or ‘Your pants are too tight’ or ‘Your pants are too long’. Honestly, he's obsessed with fashion. He's the coolest guy when it comes to fashion.
“I'm not taking a stick off Gary Neville. I'm not taking a stick off Roy Keane because they're ‘Billy Basics’.
“Over the last 18 months, it's been way better [Neville's fashion]. He's had some really nice fits, but up until that point, it was Gary Neville by far.
"Even Carragher’s looking nice and sharp now, you know?
“He looks sharp, but G Nev’s still got a bit to go, I would say.”
Richards used to rock a lot of questionable garms back in the day and regrets some of the Vivienne Westwood numbers he thought looked good at the time.
But his Autumn Winter menswear collection with George at Asda represents an evolution in style for Richards.
He commented: "You don't need a brand sponsored all over. This is just nice and sleek and fresh, man. I'm loving it.
“I’m loving it because it’s smart, casual.
“And I sort of think I've got the smart box stuff in terms of suits and stuff like that, because we have to do that for the job.
“And then casual, you know, casual is fine. But this is like perfect because it's smart casual so it’s got a perfect balance.
“You know when you look back at pictures, when you've got a big logo on something, you're like, ‘What was I wearing?’
“And it goes out of fashion. Less is more, definitely.”
READ MORE: Micah Richards poem for Kylian Mbappe live on-air goes viral in hilarious CBS Sports moment
Micah Richards joins George at Asda as the new face of menswear, with his Autumn/Winter collection available now at George.com
Topics: Micah Richards, Man City, Sky Sports, CBS Sports
Josh Lawless