Wife of BBC Business Editor Robert Peston dies aged 51 following long illness

Sian Busby, 51, a novelist who met Peston when she was 15 and went to school with his sister juliet, died in a hospice surrounded by her family, writes the Daily Mail.

A press office post on Peston’s blog said: “It is with great sadness that we can confirm that Robert Peston's beloved wife Sian Busby has passed away after a long illness. Our thoughts are with him and his family at this tragic time.

“Robert will take a short leave of absence from the BBC to return at a later date. We ask that you respect his and his family's privacy at this difficult time.”

The 52-year-old journalist has in an interview with the Telegraph, when asked for his definition of love, answered: “How I feel about my wife”.

The hard-working duo became a couple when both were at university but broke up when Peston went to study in Brussels. When he was back and Busby had left a marriage in which she got her now 23-year-old son Simon, they met for dinner, the Telegraph wrote in a 2009 interview with Busby.

She said: “His [Peston’s] mind must have been on what he was about to say, because during the first course he said he had made a terrible mistake. We have been together ever since.”

In May this year BBC Radio 5 listeners got a peek into the Peston-Busby household as Busby interrupted her husband who was interviewed live, the Telegraph wrote.

After her first ‘bye’ was not answered by Peston who was busy analysing Bank of England Govenor Sir Mervyn King’s proposed banking reform, she raised her voice and shouted second, more annoyed, ‘bye’.

As it became obvious that Peston was working from home, he laughed and said: “Sorry, my wife is shouting goodbye to me. Bye.”  The presenters joined in and said: “Bye Sian. Have a nice day.”

The Islington-born author of books such as McNaughten, The Cruel Mother and A Wonderful Little Girl had a 15-year-old son, Max, with Peston.

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