Roger Cook Dies at 83 After Five-Decade ITV Career

roger cook, the investigative journalist and TV broadcaster best known for The Cook Report, died aged 83 after a short illness. His family said he died peacefully on Saturday and announced his death on Monday.

ITV said his career spanned five decades and credited him with a ground-breaking approach to investigative journalism. The broadcaster said his work exposed criminal wrongdoing and injustice and helped drive changes in the law.

Family Statement on Cook

The family said: "It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Roger Cook, who died peacefully on Saturday after a short illness." It added: "Alongside a distinguished and award winning career in journalism, Roger was first and foremost a beloved husband and father."

They also said: "He will be deeply missed by all of us, and we ask for privacy as we navigate this difficult loss."

The Cook Report at ITV

Cook was best known for fronting The Cook Report, ITV's acclaimed investigative current affairs programme, which was produced by Central Independent Television in Nottingham. ITV said the programme was where he worked tirelessly to expose criminal wrongdoing and injustice.

The broadcaster said: "In a career spanning an incredible five decades, Roger Cook’s ground-breaking approach to investigative journalism made him one of broadcasting’s most trusted and respected figures." It also said: "His fearless contribution to journalism will long be remembered, and we send our deepest sympathies and condolences to his wife, family and friends at this difficult time."

ITV Tribute to Roger Cook

ITV's tribute tied his reporting directly to change in the law, a rare marker for a television journalist whose work reached far beyond broadcast schedules. The family and broadcaster both placed his death and his career in the same frame: a short illness ended a long run in journalism, and his name remained attached to the programme that defined it.

For viewers who knew him through The Cook Report, the immediate fact is simple: one of ITV's most recognisable investigative broadcasters is gone, and the statements issued on Monday leave his family asking for privacy while the tribute from ITV fixes his legacy in public record.