HIGH TEA WITH Sarah Ferguson

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

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?