Jack Rooke, Journalism BA Honours alumnus, has won the award for Best Comedy Writer for the second time for the final season of his TV show Big Boys at the BAFTA Television Craft Awards 2026.
As both writer and narrator, Jack tells the story of two misfit guys becoming best friends at university and was inspired by his time at Westminster. Set at the Harrow Campus, the show explores grief, depression, identity, sexuality and friendship, and won the hearts of the masses with its humour and emotional depth. The third and final season was released in 2025, concluding Jack’s time at university.
It also won the praise of critics, with Jack being named a BAFTA Breakthrough Creative and taking home the BAFTA for Best Comedy Writer for the second series in 2024. In the same year, he was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Arts from Westminster.
Jack graduated with a Journalism BA Honours degree in 2014. After his studies he gained popularity with his first show Good Grief, a comedy-theatre piece co-written with his 85-year-old Nan. In 2017, he wrote Happy Hour, commissioned by the Soho Theatre for the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. The two shows were then adapted to become Big Boys.
His dedication to themes such as mental health extends beyond his creative career. As an ambassador for CALM, a suicide prevention charity, Jack is passionate about raising awareness for the mental health struggles young people face daily.
Channel 4
When receiving his Honorary Doctorate in 2024, Jack commented: “The role of higher education in the creative industries is always more than just the acquisition of skills and the teachings of creative practice. It’s about the development of self, the ways in which you learn how to be a creative around other creatives. The key I believe is to learn how to have an uncompromising vision for something, whilst being able to practically compromise, with hopefully collaborators you trust.”
Haydn Worley, Alumni Relations Manager at the University of Westminster, said: “Many congratulations to Jack on another huge achievement with Big Boys! The Alumni Team and wider Westminster community are immensely proud of Jack’s success and his ongoing commitment to supporting young people and their mental health, through both his creative endeavours and charity work. It’s only a matter of time before Jack does something else extraordinary!”
The show directly contributes to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) 10: Reduced Inequalities and 3: Good Health and Wellbeing, as it spotlights key narratives and themes that are relatively underrepresented on television, helping those who may be struggling through similar situations. Since 2019, the University of Westminster has used the SDGs holistically to frame strategic decisions to help students and colleagues fulfil their potential and contribute to a more sustainable, equitable and healthier society.
Find out more about Media and Communications courses at the University of Westminster.
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