Roger Cook, the tenacious investigative journalist who exposed con artists, fraudsters, and other villains on BBC Radio 4's Checkpoint and ITV's The Cook Report, has died at the age of 83 after a short illness. His career was marked by fearless confrontations and frequent physical attacks from his targets.
Early Life and Career
Born in Auckland, New Zealand, during the Second World War, Cook moved to Sydney, Australia, at age two. He studied at Yanco Agricultural High School and Hurlstone Agricultural High School, funding his education with part-time jobs in journalism. After abandoning ambitions to become a vet, he worked as a film assistant and later joined the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) as a scriptwriter and reporter, where his bosses viewed him as "subversive."
Rise to Prominence
In 1968, Cook moved to Britain and joined BBC Radio as a reporter on The World at One. He conceived Checkpoint in 1973 after five years on that program, following up listener complaints about a Bristol company selling inappropriate mortgages. His confrontational style, armed with a tape recorder, led to physical altercations, including being thrown down a flight of stairs by a company boss. Despite initial BBC concerns about naming suspects and aggressive interviewing, Checkpoint ran for 12 years, attracting over 2 million listeners.
The Cook Report
Cook moved to ITV in 1987 for The Cook Report, produced by Central Independent Television and later Carlton Television. The show ran for 16 series until 1997, followed by specials until 1999, covering topics from loan sharks and drug dealing to neo-Nazis and baby trading. Cook faced numerous challenges, including libel actions. In 1992, a libel suit by an army corporal cost Central and Cook over £700,000. In 2000, the News of the World alleged faked programs, but the Independent Television Commission exonerated the show.
Controversies and Legacy
Cook's 1990 claim that miners' leader Arthur Scargill used Libyan donations to pay mortgages was later acknowledged as untrue by Daily Mirror editor Roy Greenslade. Cook received a Bafta special award in 1998 for his investigative reporting. His autobiography, Dangerous Ground, was published in 1999 and updated in 2011.
Personal Life
Cook's first marriage to Madeline Koh ended in divorce in 1974. He married Frances Knox in 1982, and they had a daughter, Belinda. Cook passed away on 13 June 2026.
