Robert Peston calls for an end to ‘vicious and vindictive’ interviews

This Sunday marks the debut of Robert Peston’s new ITV politics show. Peston on Sunday is set out to rival the BBC’s politics shows — such as the Andrew Marr Show, Daily Politics and Newsnight — as the channel try to win back ground with its politics coverage. However, before Peston’s former BBC colleagues break a sweat over their new rival’s efforts, they can breathe a collective sigh of relief that the former BBC economics editor harbours no plans to mimic their greatest stars. In fact, if anything Peston plans to do his best to be nothing like them.

In an interview with the Radio Times, the ITV political editor has launched a thinly-veiled attack on presenters who grill their interviewees on air. Peston claims that in order to get politicians to give honest answers, they need to be treated in a courteous manner rather than a ‘vicious’ one:

‘When public figures don’t play it safe… then they get this incredible bucket of shit poured on them.