Robert Peston to leave the BBC for his own ITV chatshow

The departure of the BBC's economic editor marks the end of his 10-year stint with the broadcaster

Robert Peston first joined the BBC in 2006 as Business editor (BBC)

BBC journalist and presenter Robert Peston is to join rival broadcaster ITV. The BBC’s economics editor has been lured to switch networks with the promise of a Sunday morning chatshow bearing his own name.

His departure would mark the end of a 10-year stint at the BBC – despite public pleas from some of the corporation’s best-known names for Peston to stay.

In a spoof on-air appeal, presenter Jonathan Dimbleby described Peston’s potential departure as the “most serious crisis facing the BBC”, while Huw Edwards, Nicholas Parsons and Eddie Mair also took part in the stunt on BBC Radio 4’s PM programme.

Parsons quipped that Peston’s ability to talk with “clarity and smoothness” made him the perfect candidate for a slot on his show Just A Minute.

It is understood Peston will be working on a significant amount of digital media content for ITV.