Cheng Lei speaks with Annelise Nielsen

SKY News Washington Correspondent Annelise Nielsen has secured the first interview with Australian journalist Cheng Lei after her three years imprisoned in China.

Neilsen is a former colleague of Lei’s, who has actively advocated and campaigned for her release for the past three years.

Lei was an anchor on China’s state broadcaster CGTN, until she was detained in August 2020 and accused of illegally supplying state secrets overseas.

Her capture wasn’t known publicly for days, until her worried partner visited her apartment to find her computers and passport were gone, and immediately alerted officials.

Amidst the chaos of the COVID-19 pandemic, Lei’s arrest impacted escalating tensions between Australia and China, and raised questions about the conditions of detainment in China.

Now, ahead of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s upcoming visit to Beijing, the 48-year-old mother of two has been released and returned to Australia.

In a powerful and emotional interview Lei reveals details of her harrowing three-year incarceration and how she stayed positive. She describes her “free at last moment” and the experience of being reunited with her children and mother upon landing In Melbourne.

The Bolt Report 7pm Tuesday on SKY News.