Hu Xiaomei

Who is Hu Xiaomei?

Hu Xiaomei is a Chinese radio personality and former host of the show At Night You're Not Lonely in Shenzhen, China which at its peak attracted two million nightly listeners.

Hu is private about details of her personal life. It is known that she is petite, was born in 1971, smokes cigarettes, and does not speak English. She grew up in a coal mining town in Jiangxi Province, daughter of engineers. She was married in 2002.

Hu migrated to Shenzhen in 1992, attracted by the public perception and entertainment media accounts of Shenzhen as a cosmopolitan city with opportunities for upward mobility. She initially worked at a mineral water factory earning the equivalent of US$70 per month. At night she would listen to radio call-in shows that were becoming popular in China under its new policy of "Reform and Opening".

In late she called into a talk radio and mentioned her own hopes of becoming a show host, and gave out her phone number and address. This led to many letters, but also to her employer firing her for using their telephone for personal purposes. Out of work, she brought her resume to the radio station to ask for a job. One producer decided to hire her as a host beginning December, 2002. The show she hosted from 2003 through 2007 eventually became the top rated show in Shenzhen. She was known for a "smoky" voice and calm but often critical tone. Her show had wide appeal, especially to migrant workers, who would call in from their dormitories to discuss family, work, and their romantic lives.