Channel 7 is banking on true crime heat this Sunday as 7NEWS Spotlight locks in a headline-making exclusive with Jessica Wongso — the Australian national convicted of poisoning her best friend’s iced coffee in Jakarta, now out of prison and suddenly a social media personality.
The episode, airing at 8:00 PM on Channel 7 and 7plus, marks Wongso’s first on-camera interview since her early release from an Indonesian prison after serving just eight years of a 20-year sentence. Her return to public life, and pivot to influencer status, has sparked fresh backlash — and raised questions the network is betting will drive viewership.
Longtime investigative correspondent Liam Bartlett leads the hour, pressing Wongso on what prosecutors called calculated behavior, from her infamous smirking in court to the premeditated nature of the cyanide-laced murder. Wongso, who has always denied guilt, was convicted in 2016 of killing Mirna Salihin in a case that ignited media frenzy across Southeast Asia.
The broadcast also ropes in a new voice: Kristie Carter, Wongso’s former boss, who breaks her silence on what she describes as Wongso’s “erratic” behavior in the lead-up to the crime — a firsthand account producers are positioning as a major piece of the puzzle.
Produced in-house by Seven’s current affairs unit, the special comes amid a broader strategy shift at the network to lean harder into eventized true crime as a driver for Sunday primetime. The Wongso sit-down lands mid-season for Spotlight, which has been gaining traction with its tabloid-forward, big-swing booking model.
With Wongso seeking to reframe her public image — and Salihin’s family still grieving a loss they view as unresolved — Seven is using the moment to draw fresh attention to a case that never really left the spotlight.
