Head Game • 30 July 2025

The Brutal Reality Of Life In A Chinese Prison

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From a young age, Cheng Lei had dreamed of becoming a journalist. After ditching a career in finance, her dreams came true when she was hired as a business journalist in China. But that dream turned into a nightmare in 2020 when Lei was arrested by Chinese authorities and accused of sharing state secrets. Hidden away in isolation and denied due process, it would be more than 1,000 days before she would see her kids or family again. 

In this episode of Head Game, journalist and author Cheng Lei reveals to Ant Middleton what it's really like inside China's prison system, and how she kept her self mentally resilient in conditions designed to break her down.

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CREDITSHost: Ant MiddletonEditor: Adrian WaltonExecutive Producer: Damien Haffenden Managing Producer: Elle Beattie

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