For five years, Slow Horses has been quietly building a devoted fan base. The series is the perfect anti-007, and much of its appeal lies precisely in that. Which makes it all the more amusing that neither James Bond nor any supposed rivalry with MI6 is what captures the imagination of the real head of MI5. Sir Ken McCallum has revealed that he is a huge admirer of Slow Horses. Is it because of its proximity to reality, or simply the irresistible humor of the Gary Oldman-led series?

In a video shared by Britain’s domestic intelligence agency on social media, the MI5 director general was asked about his relationship with colleagues at MI6 and ended up making an unexpected confession.

“There may be room for both James Bond and Slow Horses, but I happen to be a Slow Horses man,” McCallum replied. The remark quickly delighted fans of the series based on Mick Herron’s novels, especially coming from someone who understands the world of intelligence far better than any screenwriter.

Premiering in 2022, Slow Horses follows a group of failed or disgraced MI5 agents relegated to the crumbling Slough House under the leadership of the irreverent Jackson Lamb, played by Oldman. In contrast to the polished and glamorous heroes traditionally associated with the spy genre, the series embraces a messier, more bureaucratic, and ultimately more human vision of intelligence work.

Speaking during an event at the UK’s National Archives, McCallum also dismissed any notion of rivalry between MI5 and MI6. According to him, the two agencies work alongside police and other institutions, each contributing its own expertise to keep the country safe.

Comparisons between James Bond and Slow Horses are nothing new. Critics have often praised the series for deconstructing the mythology of espionage, while Oldman himself described it in a 2024 BBC interview as a dirtier, less glamorous version of government intelligence, worlds away from Bond’s luxurious universe.

With a sixth season arriving in September and a seventh already planned for 2027, Slow Horses has established itself as one of Apple TV’s flagship hits. And it can now boast a particularly distinguished admirer: the man who currently runs the real MI5.