Roger Cook

Available for -

• Hosting
• After Dinner Speaking 

Famous for his confrontations with targets on the ITV documentary programme The Cook Report, Roger talks about his experiences of exposing crime and corruption, which can be followed by a Q & A.

Roger Cook was brought up in Australia, where he began his broadcasting career as a radio and television reporter/newsreader for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

In 1968, Roger started work with BBC Radio Four as a reporter on The World at One, and went on to present both The World at One and the PM Programme. In 1973 Roger created Checkpoint, the investigative radio programme that he edited, produced and presented for 12 years. His BBC television work during that time included regular investigative reporting for Nationwide and Newsnight.

Roger joined Central Television in 1985 and the ground-breaking Cook Report was born. For 16 series, Roger travelled many thousands of miles a year in pursuit of crooks and con-men and those in authority who dodge their responsibilities.

For the whole of its long run, the series was the most popular current affairs programme on British television. Usually well ahead of the competition, the program has exposed child pornography, Northern Ireland protection rackets, baby trading in Brazil, loan sharks, the ivory trade, illegal immigration, war criminals in Bosnia and the Russian black market in weapons-grade plutonium. In 1998, the programme passed its 120th edition - a number of which have been followed by successful police prosecutions or major changes in the law.

In 1998, The Cook Report came to an end and was replaced by fewer, but longer, Cook Report Specials. Roger is currently working on a number of projects, including further Cook Report Specials and a 90 minute, peak-time retrospective for ITV.

Roger's many broadcasting awards include; Broadcasting Press Guild Award - Outstanding contribution to radio, 1978; Pye (Sony) - Radio personality of the year, 1979; Television & Radio Industries Award - ITV programme of the year, 1993; Royal Television Society - Best on - screen personality, 1996; 1997 Houston Worldfest Silver Award - Best Interview, 1997;  Charleston Worldfest Gold Award - Best investigative programme, 1997; Genesis Awards, Brigitte Bardot International Award - Best campaigning wildlife programme, 1997; Royal Television Society - Runner-up, Interview of the year, 1997; Television & Radio Industries Special Award - Outstanding contribution to broadcasting, 1988; British Academy (BAFTA) Special Award ‘For 25 years of outstanding investigative reporting'.

Roger co-wrote What's Wrong With Your Rights? Published by Methuen in 1998, highlighting cases which exposed the erosion or absence of rights we all take for granted. His memoir, Dangerous Ground, was published by Harper/Collins in 1999 and updated and expanded as ‘More Dangerous Ground'', published by the Book Guild in 2007.

Roger Cook is Visiting Professor at the Centre for Broadcasting and Journalism at Nottingham Trent University.   For his services to Journalism he was made an honorary doctor of letters in 2004.

Don't forget if you are thinking of booking a Speaker for your event we can also help with Awards Presenters, Comedians,after dinner Cabaret, fabulous Party Bands or Tributes, DJs, Close up Magicians, amazing Lookalikes for Meet and Greet, Circus Acts and many different types of Themed Entertainment plus much, much more.