Mrs Brooks rose to become the paper’s deputy editor, forging a strong friendship with its editor, Piers Morgan. She was quickly spotted by Rupert Murdoch, who admired her drive and unswerving loyalty to the company. So close did they become that the pair regularly swam together when he was in London and she came to be regarded as his fifth – and favourite – daughter. In 1998 she was appointed deputy editor of The Sun, before returning to the News of the World as editor in 2000.