HIGH TEA WITH Sarah Ferguson
The Australian Women's Weekly|November 2022
The feted investigative journalist and new host on ABC's 7:30 ponders naughty school days in historic England, a jealous boyfriend followed by the thunderbolt of love at first sight in Paris, and giggly conversations with her late mother.
JULIET RIEDEN
HIGH TEA WITH Sarah Ferguson

There’s something comfortingly familiar about the elegant restaurant at Sydney’s historic Vaucluse House where Sarah Ferguson and I settle in for a decadent three-tiered high tea (tomato tarte tatin, scones, apple and toffee éclair et al) and delicious conversation. Though born in Nigeria, Sarah was raised in southeast England and this location – plus the frequent morning rain showers – can’t help but trigger memories of her homeland.

When did you last enjoy a high tea? 

In 2020 when I was going to China, or trying to go to China, to run the ABC’s bureau there. I had a lot of meetings with the Chinese embassy and because they don’t like you to come in, quite a few of them took place over high tea at the Hyatt [hotel] in Canberra. Unfortunately, at the end of all of those teas, there was no visa for me and my China dream was over. It was quite a big dislocation. I had stopped doing the job I was doing; Tony [Sarah’s husband – fellow ABC journalist Tony Jones] stopped his role as host of Q&A; and it was to be a big pivot for us both. I had even started learning Mandarin.

That must have been frustrating.

It was very disappointing. It was a huge decision to do something completely different, and when I do something I go in full bore, all guns. It took me a while to give up, but it was very unlucky getting caught in the vice of history. It was just the timing. 

You started your new gig at 7:30 in July. Considering you are usually travelling around, what attracted you to sitting still as a news anchor?

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