Tributes paid to ‘fearless and funny’ Observer journalist Rachel Cooke who has died aged 56

Sat, 15 Nov 2025

Cooke, who worked for the Observer for 25 years and was described as its ‘backbone’, was diagnosed with cancer earlier this year

Tributes have been paid to the journalist and critic Rachel Cooke after her death from cancer.

Cooke, 56, was diagnosed with the illness earlier this year and died on Friday. She worked for the Observer for 25 years, where she was described as “the backbone of the paper”.