In December 2012, a radio prank call that targeted a London hospital made headlines around the world after it ended in a heartbreaking tragedy. The incident involved two Australian radio DJs who impersonated members of the British Royal Family to gain confidential information about the Duchess of Cambridge’s health. The aftermath of the call led to the untimely death of nurse Jacintha Saldanha, who had answered the call.
The Prank Call Incident
On December 4th, 2012, radio DJs Mel Greig and Michael Christian from Sydney’s 2Day FM broadcast a prank call to King Edward VII hospital in London, where the Duchess of Cambridge was being treated for severe morning sickness. Greig pretended to be the Queen, contacting the hospital staff to inquire about the Duchess’s condition. Jacintha Saldanha, a nurse at the hospital, answered the phone and, believing the call to be genuine, transferred it to a colleague who disclosed private information.
The Tragic Aftermath
Tragically, three days later on the 7th of December, 2012, Jacintha Saldanha was found dead in her nursing accommodation. She had taken her own life. The subsequent inquest concluded with a suicide verdict. Saldanha had left several suicide notes, with one noting her profound feelings of humiliation and guilt over the incident. Her husband, Ben Barboza, shared the devastating impact of the event to The Guardian.
“It was the humiliation she felt, and the guilt. I go over that in my mind, over and over. She didn’t want me to know, to share that humiliation.”
Barboza also conveyed his anger towards the DJs and the radio station, stating that he could not forgive them for the prank call that changed their lives in mere seconds. Saldanha was not just a wife and a nurse, she was also the mother of two teenaged children.
“They were making some kind of mockery, saying ‘Okay, we fooled them.’,” he said. “I can’t forgive the people who broadcast that.”
Prince William’s Letter to the Saldanha Family
In the wake of this tragedy, Prince William, the Duke of Cambridge, reached out to Jacintha Saldanha’s family. He sent them a personal, handwritten letter dated New Year’s Day 2013. The duke’s letter expressed deep sympathy and gratitude for the care the Duchess had received during her hospitalization.
“It is unbelievably sad and we both extend to you and your family our deepest condolences,” wrote Prince William. “We were both very shocked to hear about Jacintha and have been thinking about her a lot recently. Many of the nurses spoke highly of her and I’m sure you know how great a nurse she was.”
He continued:
”Jacintha and her colleagues looked after us extremely well and I am just so sorry that someone who cared for others so much found themselves in such a desperate situation.”
Apologies and Reflection
Mel Greig, one of the DJs involved in the prank call, publicly apologized to Saldanha’s family and expressed her remorse. She stated that she was “disgusted with herself” over the consequences of their actions. This heartbreaking tragedy serves as a poignant reminder of the real-life impact that seemingly harmless pranks can have on individuals. This prank, in particular, underscores the importance of empathy and responsibility in the media and public interactions.
New Perspectives: Mel Greig and Her Former Boss Speak Out
Years after the infamous prank call, Mel Greig has opened up about the lasting personal impact that the incident has had on her life. In an ABC News interview, she shared how the event has haunted her. She recounted how she has been recognized when out for the incident, including an interaction at a massage parlor in which her masseuse recognized her and referred to her as the “nurse killer”.
Just Following Orders
Finally, Rhys Holleran, who was the CEO of Southern Cross Austereo, the parent company of 2Day FM, has publicly spoken about the incident. He has claimed that Greig and her co-host “didn’t do anything wrong”. He stated that the pair were simply doing what they were told to, and that it was the company to blame. He said that the company’s culture of pushing broadcast boundaries and the failures in internal review procedures, which ultimately allowed the prank call to go to air, are at fault. Holleran said that the presenters had followed the directives they were given, trusting that editorial and legal checkpoints would prevent inappropriate content from being broadcast.
Internal Failures
Greig explained that, upon reflecting on the call afterwards, she sent an email to producers asking that the nurses voices who answered the call would be masked. She, herself, didn’t think that it was appropriate to air their real voices. The station, however, apparently believed that the nurses voices could not be identified and chose not to. Holleran went on to explain that 2Day FM had content monitors specifically assigned to oversee programs and remove material deemed inappropriate. There were claims that the station had called the hospital back minutes after the prank to receive permission from those involved to air the call later that evening. Those whose job it was to get that permission also allegedly claimed that they had received it. This, however, turned out not to be true.
Remorse and Responsability
Reflecting on the tragedy, Holleran conveyed his own deep personal remorse and sense of responsibility. He revealed that the incident caused him significant anxiety and emotional distress. Though he was not in the room making decisions about what was being aired on 2Day FM, he was the CEO of the parent company. He feels personally responsible for the unchecked company culture at that particular station. It is not known if those involved in the decision-making on this episode received any consequences for their actions. Of course, none of this – Prince William’s letter, Greig’s public apology and haunted existence, Holleran’s expression of remorse and responsibility, nor consequences to those involved can bring back this loving mother, wife, and nurse. This tragic situation highlights the complex interplay of accountability in high-profile media events and calls for compassionate understanding.
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