Cheng Lei: My Story – Premieres Tuesday 3 June at 7.30pm AEST on Sky News Australia – The one-hour documentary is a deeply personal and harrowing account of Australian journalist Cheng Lei’s extraordinary fight for freedom following her detention by Chinese authorities in 2020.
Lei, a respected news anchor and mother of two young children, was imprisoned in Beijing, wrongfully accused of supplying state secrets abroad.
Lei was held in isolation for extended periods, denied access to family, and subjected to a closed-door trial. Her detention, which lasted more than three years, drew international condemnation and became a flashpoint in deteriorating diplomatic relations between Australia and China.
Cheng Lei: My Story is Lei’s story in her own words. It details the fear, isolation, and uncertainty she faced, as well as the inner strength and resolve that helped her endure years of confinement, far from her children, family, and home.
Through exclusive interviews and powerful first-person storytelling, the documentary also explores the diplomatic and humanitarian efforts that ultimately led to her release and return to Australia in October 2023.
Cheng Lei said:
“This is the first time a documentary has been made about China’s ultra secret state security imprisonment. A place so secret photos or video of it would be considered state secrets. Thanks to Sky News, we get a sense of what it’s like. My cellmates would want their plight to be known. China will condemn it and the state supported trolls will be out in force, but that’s exactly why people should watch it. If we are afraid to talk about what China does, or has done wrong, then we are not free either.”
Sky News Australia Chief Executive Officer, Paul Whittaker, said:
“Cheng Lei’s extraordinary story is one of immense courage and resilience and a stark reminder of the risks journalists often face and the importance of a free and open press. Lei’s bravery in the face of unimaginable circumstances is a testament to her remarkable strength and the enduring power of the human spirit.”
The documentary comes just one day before the release of Cheng Lei’s anticipated memoir, Cheng Lei: A Memoir of Freedom, to be published by HarperCollins on Wednesday 4 June.
Cheng Lei: My Story – Premieres Tuesday 3 June at 7:30pm AEST
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Cheng Lei: My Story – Premieres Tuesday 3 June at 7.30pm AEST on Sky News Australia
