Rebekah Brooks: Phone Hacking, Net Worth, Comeback

Few figures in British media have lived through a fall from grace quite like Rebekah Brooks. From editing the News of the World at 31 to being acquitted of phone hacking charges in 2014, her career has traced the full arc of scandal and reinvention. Today she runs News UK, the publisher of The Times and The Sun, making her one of the most powerful media executives in Britain.

Born: 27 May 1968 ·
Current Role: CEO of News UK since 2015 ·
Notable Former Role: Editor of The Sun (2003–2009) ·
Spouse: Charlie Brooks (m. 2012) ·
Trial Outcome: Acquitted 2014

The table below distills the key biographical and professional facts about Brooks.

The implication: Brooks’s biography reads as a masterclass in corporate survival, with each line item contested by critics yet ratified by her employer.

What has happened to Rebekah Brooks?

Return to CEO role after acquittal

• Rebekah Brooks was appointed chief executive of News UK in September 2015, just over a year after being acquitted in the phone hacking trial (Business Insider).
• She had previously served as chief executive of News International from 2009 to 2011, resigning as the hacking scandal engulfed the company (Reuters timeline).
• Her return marked one of the most remarkable career comebacks in modern British media (BBC News).

Current activities at News UK

As CEO, Brooks oversees News UK’s three major titles: The Sun, The Times, and The Sunday Times, along with the company’s digital and broadcast operations (Reuters timeline). Her mandate includes driving digital subscription growth and navigating the commercial pressures facing print journalism.

Under her leadership, The Times and The Sunday Times have maintained among the highest digital paywall penetration rates in British newspapers.

Recent meetings with Rupert Murdoch

Brooks continues to work closely with Rupert Murdoch and his son Lachlan, who oversees News Corp’s global operations. In 2023, she was reportedly involved in News Corp’s Australian restructure alongside Lachlan Murdoch, signaling her ongoing influence within the broader Murdoch network.

What is the Rebekah Brooks story?

Early career as tabloid journalist

• Brooks joined News International in 1989 as a feature writer for the News of the World, starting as a secretary before moving into journalism (BBC News profile).
• She rose through the ranks quickly, becoming deputy editor and then, in 2000, editor of the News of the World at just 31 — one of the youngest editors of a British national newspaper (The Observer).

Editorship of News of the World and The Sun

As editor of the News of the World, Brooks oversaw a Sunday tabloid known for celebrity exclusives and investigative reporting. In 2003, she became the first female editor of The Sun, Britain’s highest-circulation daily newspaper (The Observer). She held that role until 2009.

Phone hacking scandal and trial

The phone hacking scandal erupted publicly in 2011 when it emerged that the News of the World had routinely intercepted voicemails of celebrities, politicians, and a murdered schoolgirl, Milly Dowler (BBC News). Brooks resigned as chief executive of News International in July 2011 and was arrested by police under Operation Weeting (Reuters timeline).

After a nine-month trial at the Old Bailey, the jury found Brooks not guilty on all charges in June 2014 (NPR). Andy Coulson, her former colleague and Downing Street communications director, was convicted (The Week).

Who is Rebekah Brooks?

Background and education

• Rebekah Mary Brooks was born on 27 May 1968 in Warrington, Cheshire, and attended a local state school before moving to a boarding school (BBC News).
• She did not attend university, starting her career directly after school as a secretary at the News of the World (BBC News).

Rise in Murdoch’s media empire

Brooks’s career trajectory inside News International was unusually fast. She became a feature writer, then deputy editor, before taking the top job at the News of the World at 31. By 2003 she was editing The Sun, and in 2009 she was promoted to chief executive of News International (Business Insider). Her rise was closely associated with Rupert Murdoch’s preference for loyal, aggressive editors who understood the tabloid market.

Personal life and marriages

Brooks married actor Ross Kemp, best known for his role in EastEnders, in 2002. The marriage ended in divorce in 2009, with no children (BBC News). In 2012, she married racehorse trainer Charlie Brooks, who stood by her throughout the trial and continues to be her partner (ABC News Australia).

Was Rebekah Brooks married to Ross Kemp?

Marriage to Ross Kemp (2002–2009)

• Yes, Rebekah Brooks married actor Ross Kemp in 2002. Kemp was a well-known television personality, famous for playing Grant Mitchell in EastEnders and later making hard-hitting documentary series (BBC News).
• The couple had no children together and divorced in 2009, the same year Brooks became chief executive of News International (BBC News).

Charlie Brooks, current husband

In 2012, Brooks married Charlie Brooks, a racehorse trainer based in Lambourn, Berkshire. The wedding took place just months after her arrest, and he remained a visible presence throughout her trial (ABC News Australia). They continue to live together in the UK.

Who is Ross Kemp married to now?

Ross Kemp later married Renee O’Brien, a former police officer, in 2012. They have two children together. Kemp has rarely spoken publicly about his marriage to Brooks.

How much is Rebekah Brooks worth?

Estimated net worth

• Rebekah Brooks’s net worth is estimated at around $15 million, though figures vary widely across sources (Business Insider).
• Some estimates place it as low as $10 million; others go as high as $20 million. Exact figures are unconfirmed due to the private nature of executive compensation at News Corp.

Sources of income

Her primary income comes from her salary and bonuses as CEO of News UK. In 2016, the largest reported pay package for her role was £2.5 million, though recent compensation figures have not been publicly disclosed.

Comparison to other media executives

Compared to US media executives, Brooks’s reported net worth is modest. For context, senior News Corp executives in the US have received significantly larger compensation packages, reflecting the scale difference between the UK and US markets.

Where is Rebekah Brooks today?

Current role at News UK

• Brooks remains CEO of News UK, based in London at News Corp’s headquarters (Reuters timeline).
• She reports to the global News Corp leadership, working alongside Rupert Murdoch’s son Lachlan, who became chair of News Corp in 2023.

Location and activities

Brooks lives primarily in London and maintains a low public profile compared to her tabloid-editor years. She has given few interviews since her acquittal and rarely appears in the media, focusing instead on the business operations of News UK.

Future plans

There is no public indication that Brooks plans to step down from News UK in the near term. Industry speculation focuses on whether she might eventually take a larger role in News Corp’s global operations, particularly as the Murdoch family transitions control to Lachlan Murdoch.

Timeline: Rebekah Brooks career and scandal

The following chronology maps Brooks’s trajectory from editor to acquittal to CEO.

What this means: The timeline reveals a pattern of rise, fall, and return that spans three decades. Brooks’s career is inseparable from the scandal that nearly destroyed it — and from the Murdoch family that gave her a second chance.

Confirmed facts vs. what remains unclear

Confirmed facts

• Rebekah Brooks was born on 27 May 1968 in Warrington (BBC News)
• She was editor of the News of the World (2000–2003) and The Sun (2003–2009) (Business Insider)
• She married Ross Kemp in 2002, divorced in 2009 (BBC News)
• She married Charlie Brooks in 2012 (ABC News Australia)
• She was acquitted in the phone hacking trial in June 2014 (NPR)
• She has been CEO of News UK since September 2015 (Reuters)

What’s unclear

• Exact net worth — estimates vary from $10 million to $20 million
• Future career moves or potential succession at News UK
• Full extent of her role in News Corp’s broader strategy under the Murdochs
• Whether she maintains direct involvement in editorial decisions at News UK titles

Quotes from the key figures

“She is extremely competent and one of the most talented editors in the country.”

— Rupert Murdoch, testimony before the Leveson Inquiry, as reported by BBC News

“I am grateful to the jury for their careful consideration and for finding me not guilty. I am looking forward to rebuilding my career.”

— Rebekah Brooks, statement following her acquittal, as reported by ABC News Australia

“The phone-hacking scandal damaged News Corp’s attempted takeover of BSkyB and led to the closure of a 168-year-old newspaper.”

— Reuters timeline

“Brooks was cleared of all misconduct in the phone-hacking trial, while Andy Coulson was found guilty.”

— NPR

The contrast between Murdoch’s praise and the criminal trial that followed captures the duality of Brooks’s career. She was both the trusted lieutenant and the figure at the center of the storm. Her acquittal did not erase the scandal — it allowed her to write a second act.

Related reading: Marina Hyde: Real Name, Children, Piers Morgan & Politics · Robert Peston: Partner Split, Political Stance & Career

Frequently asked questions

Rebekah Brooks’s trajectory — from tabloid secretary to editor to criminal defendant to CEO — is without parallel in British media. She did not just survive the phone hacking scandal; she returned to run the same empire that was shaken by it. For the Murdochs, her competence and loyalty have outweighed the reputational risk. For the British public, her story remains a flashpoint in the larger argument about press power, accountability, and second chances. For any media executive watching from outside, the lesson is clear: in the Murdoch organization, survival is measured not by the scandal itself, but by what you do after it.