Bradley Walsh as DS Ronnie Brooks
Lively and loveable, Ronnie Brooks is the man you'd want to give your daughter away if you were indisposed. Ronnie adores his job. He's a copper's copper. A reminder of another era of London policing; an era Ronnie's determined to keep going. He knows every nook and cranny of the city. When he's off duty, he can be found playing snooker, or watching West Ham (he's been a season ticket holder for 35 years).
Anglican by upbringing, Ronnie's a humanist by experience. A proper old-school East End gentleman who understands the complexities of life and death. Ronnie uses his laconic wit to cover the reality of too many dead bodies and disappointments. A recovering alcoholic, Ronnie drank his way through two marriages and the distancing of two daughters. Although he typically shrugs it off, Ronnie's feelings of guilt are transparent. He now lives alone.
His genuine insight into the human condition, makes him a brilliant interrogator and reader of people. He is socially liberal, a man of great tolerance: but he's also a realist about life. Ronnie's a force for good - and everyone who has ever worked with him adores him. He loves working with Matt. Ronnie sees Matt as a bit of a surrogate son, best friend and confidante.
Ronnie Brooks would appear to be based on the character Lennie Briscoe from the original Law & Order series. Both characters have two ex-wives, are estranged from their daughters & are recovering alcoholics. Ronnie also happens to be the only surviving character from the first seven series of Law and Order: UK.
