'I'm not alright about it': Tom Brooke reacts after his Slow Horses character JK Coe is killed off in season six

From the Newshound archive · first published 9 October 2026.

Tom Brooke has admitted he is still struggling with the death of JK Coe, the fan-favourite spy he played across three seasons of Apple TV+'s Slow Horses. The character was stabbed to death in a service station bathroom knife fight in episode four of season six, which premiered on Wednesday 7 October. Brooke said he tried to read the first novel not to feature Coe but had to put it down within two pages.

Head writer Gaby Chiappe called the death scene 'beautiful', praising both actors for showing 'camaraderie' despite knowing it was a fight to the death.

Coe's death shocked viewers, though readers of Mick Herron's Slough House books already knew it was coming — the character first appeared in season four in 2024.

Brooke put forward ideas to make sure the scene stayed faithful to how Coe's death appears on the page in Herron's novels; fresh episodes of Slow Horses arrive on Apple TV+ across the next two Wednesdays.