BAFTA award-winning TV investigator Roger Cook has died aged 83.
Roger, who hosted his namesake show The Cook Report for over a decade, passed away after a short illness, his family confirmed.
Roger, who hosted his namesake show The Cook Report for over a decade, passed away after a long illness Credit: Handout
He was famed for ushering in a new era of investigative reporting Credit: News Group Newspapers Ltd
Roger – who had faced a number of cancer battles over the years – died in hospital with his wife Frances and daughter Belinda by his bedside.
He was famed for ushering in a new era of investigative reporting through an array of shows, including Checkpoint and Newsnight.
The reporter worked on several BBC radio and TV programmes, before switching to ITV with his most famous show, The Cook Report.
Issuing a touching tribute, Roger’s family hailed him as a “beloved husband and father”.
It read: “It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Roger Cook, who died peacefully on Saturday after a short illness.
“Alongside a distinguished and award winning career in journalism, Roger was first and foremost a beloved husband and father.
“He will be deeply missed by all of us, and we ask for privacy as we navigate this difficult loss.”
Over the course of 12 years – and across 16 series – Roger travelled the globe uncovering serious criminal activity.
His undercover stings, including people smuggling, drug dealing and the tainted blood scandal, drew in millions of viewers between 1987 and 1999.
Roger was born in New Zealand in April 1943 and later raised in Australia.
It was the latter where started his career as a reporter and newsreader at the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
After moving to London in 1968, Roger went on to join BBC’s The World At One programme.
During his time with the broadcaster, he also worked on several other programmes, including PM, Nationwide and Newsnight.
During the 1970s, Roger expanded into investigative reporting.
He founded and presented Radio 4 show Checkpoint, which exposed criminals and wrongdoing among officials.
But the programme was later reformatted and changed to The Cook Report when he took it to ITV.
In its heyday, it attracted more than 12 million viewers and won a number of awards, including a BAFTA in 1997.
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