Future a bright Sky for ‘energised, motivated’ Cheng Lei

The former detained journalist has a renewed outlook on life three months after being released from a small Beijing prison cell.

Cheng Lei after her three-year ordeal in a Chinese prison. Picture: Arsineh Houspian

Journalist Cheng Lei is “over the emotional turbulence” of three gruelling years behind bars in a Beijing prison, and her journalistic hunger is back.

The 48-year-old was released from detention on October 11 and after her first summer holiday in years, spent in Perth, Brisbane and Papua New Guinea, Cheng returns to work on Wednesday as newsreader and columnist at Sky News Australia.

Since being reunited with her two children, 14 and 12, Cheng said she is “energised” by the year ahead and has regained a positive outlook on life after living through harsh conditions confined to a small cell that allowed her to see sunlight for only 10 hours a year.

“I’ve been so re-energised since joining Sky, I feel more fulfilled and in my element, and also motivated to learn more, and that all helps to counteract any negative things still bubbling around,” she told The Australian.

“Writing has been very cathartic, it’s something I enjoy doing, and when I get reader comments it’s very satisfying and it means instead of sitting there and languishing I’m now contributing to debate and the society.

“I will always have that journalistic sense for news but to now make and produce news is terrific.”

Cheng, who lives in Melbourne, has previously said her time behind bars and inability to work as a journalist left a “huge hole in me”.

Before restarting as a newsreader she said it was a “big step” after “having missed out on so much for the past three years”.

News Corp, the owner of Sky News, is also the publisher of The Australian.

Cheng was detained in August 2020 while working as an anchor for the Chinese government’s English-language TV channel, CGTN. She was detained by the Chinese Ministry of State after being charged with providing state secrets to foreign organisations, and few details were given about the reasons for her arrest.

When she was finally released she revealed she broke by a few minutes an embargo relating to a Chinese government briefing before it was announced publicly, which led to her arrest.

Born in China, Cheng migrated to Australia aged 10 and says she has regained what she describes as her “mojo” by taking part in activities many take for granted – going on family holidays and driving children to school.

“I enrolled my son in a soccer team and I take him there twice a week. I’m also trying to look after my mum’s health, which has worsened a lot in the last three years,” she said.

“I can actually do things with my children. I took them to a water park in Perth and we had so much fun, I took them to the beach every day.”

During her summer break she also spent time in Port Moresby with partner Nick Coyle, and the pair walked a part of the gruelling Kokoda Track together.

Cheng’s ordeal attracted huge interest domestically and internationally. Her positive outlook on returning to normality is inspirational to many and has earned her a nomination for The Australian’s Australian of the Year. We encourage our readers to put in a nomination for The Australian’s Australian of the Year, first won in 1971 by economist HC “Nugget” Coombs.

Prominent Australians can be nominated by filling out the form above, or sending an email to [e-mail]. Nominations close on Friday.