Jean Rook
Encyclopedia
Jean Kathleen Rook was an English journalist
dubbed The First Lady of Fleet Street for her regular opinion column in the Daily Express
. She was also, along with Lynda Lee-Potter
, a model for the Glenda Slagg
column in the satirical magazine Private Eye
.
and an usherette
, Rook was raised in the East Riding of Yorkshire
. She was educated at Malet Lambert High School
and Bedford College, London, where she became the first woman to edit the Sunday newspaper, Sennet. She began her professional career as a reporter on the Sheffield Telegraph
, then became women's editor before taking a similar job at the Yorkshire Post
and from there went to Flair
- a fashion magazine. In 1964 she joined The Sun
newspaper as its fashion editor. It was in her time in Sheffield that she met and married Geoffrey Nash, who followed a spell in the Rotherham branch office of the Sheffield Telegraph
with a stint as the writer of the diary on the evening paper The Star
.
In an interview, Jean Rook had revelled in describing how she had "clawed and scrambled" her way to become "the First Lady of Fleet Street... Britain's bitchiest, best known, loved and loathed woman journalist". Rook also owned up to having been the original model for Private Eyes female columnist Glenda Slagg. She enjoyed her privileged position as a newspaper columnist, and dressed in extravagantly brassy style - clanking with chunky accessories - but she also had the opinions and language to match 'the look' and was proud of her success in what was a male-dominated industry.
Her never-less-than-outrageous column became the vehicle for wild swings of opinion and no subject was taboo. The critic Clive James
observed, having watched an appearance she made on the BBC2 programme 'Dont Quote Me' in 1975: "Unusually prone to writing and talking in clichés, she nevertheless commands a sure sense of the proper time to trade in one set of bromides for another. Bryan Magee
read some of her own prose to her.It bore out the Margo Macdonald
/Anna Raeburn
case [that the Press tended to put Woman in her Place] ,in all respects, but Rook was in no whit abashed. "That was written in 1971, she protested confidently. Everybody thought that then."
Even Rook's adoring readers sometimes found her unashamed vulgarity too much to bear but despite this, after nearly two decades working for the Daily Express she remained an institution. Rook interviewed scores of public figures, including Margaret Thatcher
, Indira Gandhi
, Elizabeth Taylor
and Barry Humphries
, with her "down-to-earth approach" to all. She summed this up saying; "You know why I'm popular with the readers? Because I'm as ordinary as they are".
Despite what many saw as her faults, and vanities, she was an esteemed and conscientious worker. She missed her deadline for her Daily Express column only twice in two decades - once, when her son was born, and the second time, when she was diagnosed as suffering from cancer.
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
dubbed The First Lady of Fleet Street for her regular opinion column in the Daily Express
Daily Express
The Daily Express switched from broadsheet to tabloid in 1977 and was bought by the construction company Trafalgar House in the same year. Its publishing company, Beaverbrook Newspapers, was renamed Express Newspapers...
. She was also, along with Lynda Lee-Potter
Lynda Lee-Potter
Lynda Lee-Potter OBE was a columnist for the British newspaper the Daily Mail.-Early years:...
, a model for the Glenda Slagg
Glenda Slagg
Glenda Slagg is a fictional parodic columnist in the satirical magazine Private Eye. She first appeared in the mid-1960s. Her writing style is a pastiche of several female columnists in British newspapers, notably Jean Rook and Lynda Lee-Potter: brash, vitriolic and inconsistent.Glenda's column...
column in the satirical magazine Private Eye
Private Eye
Private Eye is a fortnightly British satirical and current affairs magazine, edited by Ian Hislop.Since its first publication in 1961, Private Eye has been a prominent critic and lampooner of public figures and entities that it deemed guilty of any of the sins of incompetence, inefficiency,...
.
Biography
The daughter of an engineerEngineer
An engineer is a professional practitioner of engineering, concerned with applying scientific knowledge, mathematics and ingenuity to develop solutions for technical problems. Engineers design materials, structures, machines and systems while considering the limitations imposed by practicality,...
and an usherette
Usher (occupation)
Ushers assist visitors by formally showing the way in a large building or to their appropriate seats. This may coincide with a security role. The word comes from the French huissier, with the same meaning , ushers were servants or courtiers who showed or ushered visitors in and out of meetings in...
, Rook was raised in the East Riding of Yorkshire
Yorkshire
Yorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...
. She was educated at Malet Lambert High School
Malet Lambert High School
Malet Lambert School is a comprehensive secondary school for 11-16 year old pupils in Kingston upon Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire. The school is situated on James Reckitt Avenue in the east of the city and its front facade stands overlooking East Park...
and Bedford College, London, where she became the first woman to edit the Sunday newspaper, Sennet. She began her professional career as a reporter on the Sheffield Telegraph
Sheffield Telegraph
The Sheffield Telegraph is a weekly newspaper published in Sheffield, England.-History:Founded in 1855 as the Sheffield Daily Telegraph, it was the city's first daily newspaper, published at 08:00 each morning. The newspaper struggled until W. C...
, then became women's editor before taking a similar job at the Yorkshire Post
Yorkshire Post
The Yorkshire Post is a daily broadsheet newspaper, published in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England by Yorkshire Post Newspapers, a company owned by Johnston Press...
and from there went to Flair
Flair
Flair can refer to:*Ric Flair , a professional wrestler*David Flair , his older son, also a professional wrestler*Reid Flair , his younger son, also a professional wrestler*The Flairs, an American doo-wop group in the 1950s...
- a fashion magazine. In 1964 she joined The Sun
The Sun (newspaper)
The Sun is a daily national tabloid newspaper published in the United Kingdom and owned by News Corporation. Sister editions are published in Glasgow and Dublin...
newspaper as its fashion editor. It was in her time in Sheffield that she met and married Geoffrey Nash, who followed a spell in the Rotherham branch office of the Sheffield Telegraph
Sheffield Telegraph
The Sheffield Telegraph is a weekly newspaper published in Sheffield, England.-History:Founded in 1855 as the Sheffield Daily Telegraph, it was the city's first daily newspaper, published at 08:00 each morning. The newspaper struggled until W. C...
with a stint as the writer of the diary on the evening paper The Star
Sheffield Star
The Star, often known as the Sheffield Star is a daily newspaper published in Sheffield, England, from Monday to Saturday each week. Originally a broadsheet, the newspaper became a tabloid in 1989...
.
In an interview, Jean Rook had revelled in describing how she had "clawed and scrambled" her way to become "the First Lady of Fleet Street... Britain's bitchiest, best known, loved and loathed woman journalist". Rook also owned up to having been the original model for Private Eyes female columnist Glenda Slagg. She enjoyed her privileged position as a newspaper columnist, and dressed in extravagantly brassy style - clanking with chunky accessories - but she also had the opinions and language to match 'the look' and was proud of her success in what was a male-dominated industry.
Her never-less-than-outrageous column became the vehicle for wild swings of opinion and no subject was taboo. The critic Clive James
Clive James
Clive James, AM is an Australian author, critic, broadcaster, poet and memoirist, best known for his autobiographical series Unreliable Memoirs, for his chat shows and documentaries on British television and for his prolific journalism...
observed, having watched an appearance she made on the BBC2 programme 'Dont Quote Me' in 1975: "Unusually prone to writing and talking in clichés, she nevertheless commands a sure sense of the proper time to trade in one set of bromides for another. Bryan Magee
Bryan Magee
Bryan Edgar Magee is a noted British broadcasting personality, politician, poet, and author, best known as a popularizer of philosophy.-Early life:...
read some of her own prose to her.It bore out the Margo Macdonald
Margo MacDonald
Margo MacDonald MSP is a Scottish politician and former Scottish National Party MP and Deputy Leader...
/Anna Raeburn
Anna Raeburn
Anna Raeburn is a British broadcaster and journalist who is famous for her role as an 'agony aunt' giving advice on life relationship and more general life problems. She is principally known for her work on Capital Radio in London....
case [that the Press tended to put Woman in her Place] ,in all respects, but Rook was in no whit abashed. "That was written in 1971, she protested confidently. Everybody thought that then."
Even Rook's adoring readers sometimes found her unashamed vulgarity too much to bear but despite this, after nearly two decades working for the Daily Express she remained an institution. Rook interviewed scores of public figures, including Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher, was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990...
, Indira Gandhi
Indira Gandhi
Indira Priyadarshini Gandhara was an Indian politician who served as the third Prime Minister of India for three consecutive terms and a fourth term . She was assassinated by Sikh extremists...
, Elizabeth Taylor
Elizabeth Taylor
Dame Elizabeth Rosemond "Liz" Taylor, DBE was a British-American actress. From her early years as a child star with MGM, she became one of the great screen actresses of Hollywood's Golden Age...
and Barry Humphries
Barry Humphries
John Barry Humphries, AO, CBE is an Australian comedian, satirist, dadaist, artist, author and character actor, best known for his on-stage and television alter egos Dame Edna Everage, a Melbourne housewife and "gigastar", and Sir Les Patterson, Australia's foul-mouthed cultural attaché to the...
, with her "down-to-earth approach" to all. She summed this up saying; "You know why I'm popular with the readers? Because I'm as ordinary as they are".
Despite what many saw as her faults, and vanities, she was an esteemed and conscientious worker. She missed her deadline for her Daily Express column only twice in two decades - once, when her son was born, and the second time, when she was diagnosed as suffering from cancer.