DJ's distress at hoax call nurse's death
An Australian radio presenter who duped a nurse into helping reveal details about the pregnant Duchess of Cambridge’s health has spoken tearfully of the moment she heard that Jacintha Saldanha had died.
DJ Mel Greig told Australian TV networks: “Fortunately I remember that moment very well because I haven’t stopped thinking about it since it happened.
“I remember my first question was ’Was she a mother?’.
“I have thought about this a million times in my head, that I just wanted to reach out to them and just give them a big hug and say sorry.
“I hope they are OK, I really do.”
Her colleague, Michael Christian, added: “I just hope that they get the love, the support, the care that they need."
The two DJs were able to trick two nurses at London's King Edward VII's Hospital.
Mother of two Ms Saldanha, 46, who took the initial call before putting the pair through to a colleague, was found dead on Friday in what appears to be a suspected suicide.
Greig and Christian, DJs on the station 2Day FM, were quizzed about the incident today on the Australian TV programmes A Current Affair and Today Tonight.
They pulled out of a third interview they were meant to do for The Project, on the Ten network, because they were unwell, according to a spokesman for the TV channel.
In a statement, the radio station’s owner, Southern Cross Austero Media, said it had suspended advertising on 2Day FM until further notice, ended Greig and Christian’s Hot 30 show and suspended prank calls across the company.
The statement said attempts had been made to contact the hospital before the hoax was broadcast, adding that it believed no laws had been broken.
The statement said: “Several attempts were made by the production team to discuss the segment with the hospital, but with no success. The segment was referred to an internal review process which included internal legal review and authorisation was granted to broadcast.
“The company does not consider that the broadcast of the segment has breached any relevant law, regulation or code. The company will fully co-operate with any investigations.”
