Robert Peston sells Welsh home after wife’s death because revisiting proved too painful

Robert Peston, ITV’s political editor, says returning to his Welsh home after his wife’s death proved too difficult and he ultimately sold the property.

Sian Busby, a writer of Welsh descent, died of lung cancer in September 2012 at the age of 51.

In the final decade of her life, Busby came to regard Wales as her true home, prompting the couple to spend many years at a property in Aberystwyth, Ceredigion.

Following his wife’s death, Peston retained the house for a time but eventually decided to sell it, as staying there constantly reminded him of his profound grief.

“To be in a place where someone is simultaneously present and absent proved unbearable; it became too difficult, so I sold it,” he said.

“I still cherish Wales and Aberystwyth,” he added.

In a BBC Radio Wales interview with Lucy Owen, Peston recounted that his wife adored everything Welsh—its landscapes and coastline—and that they would frequently take long walks along the cliffs.

“There are countless beautifully charming villages and seaside towns in that part of the world,” he said.

At age nine, his son Max—an aspiring musician—assembled a group of local friends in Aberystwyth to form a rock band with him.

As an adult, he formed another group, The New Sticky, collaborating with a childhood bandmate who handled bass duties—a arrangement his father described as “lovely.”

Music is a familiar pursuit for him; he fronts a rock‑and‑punk cover band called Centrist Dad, where he takes lead vocals.

He shares the stage with broadcaster and former politician Ed Balls, who handles the drums.

“We needed a drummer, and I volunteered, saying, ‘Well, I know a drummer,’” he recalled.

Peston remembered visiting Balls in the 1990s in Yorkshire and spotting a drum kit, which led him to believe Balls could play.

Peston called Balls, who said he would try, but sheepishly admitted he was not a drummer.

“What’s remarkable about Ed is that whatever he sets out to do, he approaches with total seriousness; today he’s a highly skilled drummer,” Peston noted.

He described the band as his “greatest escape” and added that it was “the joy of my life.”

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