An Australian radio DJ who made an ill-fated prank call to a British nurse days before she took her own life has said she spent the ensuing years “battling” for her life and struggling against “suicidal thoughts”.
Mel Greig had been working at Sydney’s 2Day FM when she and colleague Mike Christian rang King Edward VII Hospital in London “to see how quickly we could get hung up on” and “to our surprise, we were immediately transferred to the private nurse of the Duchess (of Cambridge)”.
Pretending to be the Queen and the Prince of Wales, the DJs had duped nurse Jacintha Saldanha into putting their call through to a colleague who revealed confidential details about Kate.
(Image: WireImage)
The second nurse told the DJ that Kate was suffering from severe morning sickness while she was pregnant with Prince George.
The prank call went viral and several days later in December 2012, Ms Saldanha had taken her own life and left three suicide notes, one of which blamed the Australian DJs.
Ahead of the 10-year anniversary of the tragedy, Ms Greig said she was left feeling deeply traumatised and feeling “unbearable” guilt over the 46-year-old’s death, which led to her harbouring “suicidal thoughts”.
(Image: Getty Images)
The former DJ said she was also labelled a “murderer” by the global press and struggled to find work.
In an opinion piece for Australia’s Special Broadcasting Service (SBS), Ms Greig said the hoax left her a “broken woman”.
“A family lost their wife and mother and to be accused of playing a role in taking her life was beyond devastating,” she said.
(Image: WireImage)
“Online trolls told me to kill myself every day, no one would employ me. Charities wouldn’t even let me stuff envelopes behind the scenes. I was a tarnished and broken woman.”
As a result of becoming known as the “Royal prank DJ”, Ms Greig described losing friends, jobs, opportunities, confidence and her identity.
Two years after Ms Saldanha’s death, a London coroner attributed it partly to the pressure of the hoax and difficulties she had been experiencing with a colleague at the hospital.
In September 2014, Dr Fiona Wilcox found that the nurse’s death was not foreseeable and that she was appropriately supported by her workplace after she was duped into believing Ms Greig was the Queen enquiring after the duchess.
At the inquest, Ms Greig was granted permission to address the court and Ms Saldanha’s family.
“I am so sorry for your loss. I have wanted to say that to you for so long,” she told them.
For emotional support you can call the Samaritans 24-hour helpline on 116 123, email jo@samaritans.org, visit a Samaritans branch in person or go to the Samaritans website.
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
