More bad newsโfor Robert Peston: his weekly political show hasnโt made it on air, and thereโs no mystery about why. The ITV series is on that break, with no episodesโscheduled before the beginning of February.
The Political Editor carries onโwith his regular news work. Heโwrote analysis on Westminster tussles as recently as two days ago and is a regular interviewee on ITV News at Ten. But his Mondayโnight talk show, which shifted from Wednesday nights last September, has thrown bare intermission between cycles.
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The Monday Night Gap
ITV schedules reveal that there will be no extended runโby Peston over the next two weeks. The show goes out live at 9pm on social media then later at 10:45pm on ITV1, after the lateโnews. That slot has been vacantโsince late January.
Parliament sits this week. MPs cameโback from their Christmas recess on 5 January and discussion runs until February. The absence is not linked to parliamentary holidays,โwhich made past gaps more expected.
A Programme Between Runs
The series works in seasonal blocks ratherโthan individual weekly broadcasts. Back for anโ11th series, Peston seems to materialise after two-to-four week intervals. Pastโseasons have taken breaks after major political events or between coverage cycles.
Pippa Crerar signed up asโco-host last September when the programme moved to Monday nights. She took over from Anushka Asthana, introducing the political reporting background she acquiredโas a Guardian journalist into the panel discussions.
Where Is Peston Now?
The veteran broadcasterโstill continues to present on all ITV News platforms:
His blog also tracks the latest from Westminster, including posts from 27 January on Labourโs candidate selection row and UK response to US tariffโthreats.
As Political Editor, a role he’s had since joining from the BBC in 2015, he provides regular reports toโITV News at Ten.
His podcast โThe Rest isโMoneyโ is still publishing episodes on economic policy and financial markets.
Socialโmedia pages are always up to date with political chatter and responses to breaking news.
Why Political Shows Pause
Weekly news discussion programs areโusually not on the air year-round. Temporary breaks are also influenced byโproduction schedules, editorial planning, and guest coordination.
Footballโmay pre-empt late-night political slots but no matches conflict with Monday night in late January or early February. Scheduling is likely to be affected by major sporting events later in theโyear.
The format ofโthe show means cabinet ministers, opposition MPs and policy experts all have to be booked in advance. Those gaps tend to beโbuilt into production schedules, because coordinating the schedules of several high-profile guests each week takes time.
The Show’s Monday Move
ITV aired from 2018โup until September 2025 on Wednesday nights. That autumn’s change of schedule saw the programme moved to Monday nights, earlier inโthe political week.
The show was previously broadcastโon Sunday mornings as Peston on Sunday, until 2018. The original format aired in May 2016 when Robert Peston moved from the BBC toโjoin ITV as Political Editor.
Theโway we consume television today mixes traditional viewing with streaming. Episodes are available to view on X (formerly Twitter) and YouTube at 9pm aheadโof the ITV1 airing two hours later. ITVX has the seriesโon demand.
When Broadcasts Resume
ITV has not announced aโreturn date through official channels. The networks usually announce their schedules a week or twoโbefore the upfronts take place.
There were similar chasms between seasonsโin prior years. The seriesโresumed after the summer break from September 2024, and Christmas break in January 2025, and again after Easter recess in April 2024. Each break spannedโtwo to four weeks.
For those wanting to check for future updates, they can follow the programme’s social media pages which share when future episodes willโroll out and who will be appearing as guests. ITV Online Programme schedule; from tow weeksโback.
What This Means for Viewers
The hiatus is in keeping with theโcommon practice for weekly political talk shows. The BBCโs Question Time, Skyโs political programmes and other Westminster coverage formats allโplan time-outs.
Political coverageโhasnโt come to a halt with the writing of Robert Peston, and his presence is felt beyond ITV News at Ten. The more comprehensive style of episodes simply has taken a brief hiatus while production lays out its plans for theโnext batch.
Anyone who missed political chatโon Monday can read Pestonโs latest pieces on the ITV News website. His take on the biggest Westminster stories is publishedโevery weekday in the Politics First Reads newsletter, which you can sign up for here.Read moreAll of Seanโs political sketches are here.
The program will resume its Monday evening time period in aboutโthree weeks. Keep updated on ITV listingsโor the programme’s social media for confirmed air dates.
