Kate Brooke

Kate Brooke (born Kate Constantia Sergison-Brooke; 1 June 1968) is a British screenwriter best known for The Forsyte Saga, Wired (2008), Mr Selfridge (2013–16) and The Winter King (2023). The Brookes are a prominent Anglo-Irish family, descending from the English Army captain Basil Brooke, that settled in Northern Ireland before the Plantation of Ulster.

Brooke attended the University of Oxford, England, and graduated with a degree in English studies, following which she enrolled in L'École Internationale de Théâtre Jacques Lecoq, Paris. Before becoming a television writer, she set up her own theatre group in England.

Career In the early years of her career, Brooke wrote and directed for theatre. She worked on the stage adaptation of François Mauriac’s Thérèse Desqueyroux (Turtle Key Arts Centre in Fulham, London; 1992), Guy de Maupassant’s Bel Ami (Turtle Key Arts Centre in Fulham, London; 1993), Graham Greene’s The Tenth Man (New End Theatre in Hampstead, London; 1994) and Saki’s Beasts and Super-Beasts.

Brooke's first television writing credit was on an episode of the British sketch comedy show Six Pairs of Pants (1995). She wrote six episodes of the Always and Everyone (1999–2002) and four episodes of The Forsyte Saga (2003). The film was screened on the third anniversary of Noye's conviction and was nominated for the BAFTA TV Award for Best Single Drama.

Brooke wrote the screenplay for Secret Smile (2003) based on Nicci French's novel of the same name. She wrote the Australian television film Joanne Lees: Murder in the Outback (2007) that follows the real life disappearance of Peter Falconio. She adapted Frances Hodgson Burnett’s The Making of a Marchioness for the 2012 television film The Making of a Lady starring Joanna Lumley, Linus Roache and James D’Arcy.

In 2022, Brooke was announced as the screenwriter and showrunner for the television adaptation of Erin Young’s The Fields. The series was cancelled after the first season following mixed reviews.

Brooke directed her first short film Bloodsport in 2024, winning Best Short Film at Birmingham Film Festival and Best Thriller at the Poppy Jaspar Film Festival in California.

Personal life In 1997 Brooke married Stephen Lovegrove, the former UK National Security Adviser. He was appointed Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George (GCMG) in the 2024 New Year Honours.

The couple have two daughters and live in London, England. 6 episodes (co-written with Sally Phillips, 2000) BBC Radio 4 Always and Everyone "Episode #2.6" (2000) ITV Danielle Cable: Eyewitness Television film (co-written with Terry Winsor, 2003) ITV The Forsyte Saga, Series II Television miniseries (co-written with John Galsworthy and Phil Woods, 2003) ITV Secret Smile Television film (2005) ITV Joanne Lees: Murder in the Outback Television film (2007) ITV Wired Television miniseries (2008) ITV Breaking the Mould Television film (2009) BBC Four Case Sensitive "The Point of Rescue" (2011) ITV The Making of a Lady Television film (2012) ITV The Ice Cream Girls Television miniseries (2013) ITV Mr Selfridge 11 episodes (co-written with Andrew Davies, 2013–) ITV Bancroft 4 part Thriller (2017) ITV A Discovery of Witches 5 episodes (2018) Sky One The Winter King 10 episodes (co-written with Ed Whitmore, 2023) ITV, MGM+

Awards and nominations