Still in shock that nurse Jacintha Saldhana took her life after being tricked by the Australian radio hosts' imitation of the Queen, the two DJs – whose radio show has been canceled – said they are 'gutted' and 'heartbroken.' NBC's Keir Simmons reports.
Updated at 6:50 p.m. ET: CANBERRA, Australia -- Two Australian radio announcers who made a prank call to a British hospital treating Prince William's pregnant wife Kate broke a three-day silence Monday to speak of their distress over the death of the nurse who took their call.
The 2DayFM Sydney-based announcers, Mel Greig and Michael Christian, said the tragedy had left them "shattered, gutted, heartbroken."
Greig and fellow presenter and prank mastermind Christian have been in hiding since nurse Jacintha Saldanha's death and the subsequent social media outrage at their prank. Saldanha's death is being treated as unexplained while an investigation takes place.
Greig told the “Today Tonight” program on Australia’s Channel 7 that her first thought when told of Saldanha's death was for her family.
Prank-call radio station suspends DJs, ads; dead nurse's family 'deeply saddened'
"Unfortunately I remember that moment very well, because I haven't stopped thinking about it since it happened," she said, amid tears and her voice quavering with emotion. "I remember my first question was 'was she a mother?'"
"I've wanted to just reach out to them and just give them a big hug and say sorry. I hope they're OK, I really do. I hope they get through this," said a black-clad Greig when asked about Saldanha's two children, left grieving her death with their father Ben Barboza.
Details of Kate's condition disclosed
Saldanha, 46, was found dead in staff accommodation near London's King Edward VII hospital on Friday, three days after putting the hoax call through to a colleague who unwittingly disclosed details of Kate's morning sickness to 2DayFM's presenters.
A recording of the call, broadcast repeatedly by the station, rapidly became an internet hit and was reprinted as a transcript in many newspapers.
But news of Saldanha's death sparked the Internet firestorm, with vitriolic comments toward the DJs on Facebook and Twitter.
Christian said his only wish was that Saldanha's grief-stricken family received proper support.
"I hope that they get the love, the support, the care that they need, you know," said Christian, who like Greig struggled to talk about the tragedy.
Radio station owner calls death of nurse who took royal prank call 'truly tragic'
In a statement, the radio station's parent company, Southern Cross Austero, said it had suspended advertising on 2Day FM until further notice, ended the two DJs’ Hot 30 program, suspended prank calls across the company, and begun a comprehensive review of relevant company policies and practices.
"The company does not consider that the broadcast of the segment has breached any relevant law, regulation or code. The company will fully cooperate with any investigations," the statement said.
'Processes in place'
Both Greig, 30, and Christian were relatively new to the station, with Greig joining in March and Christian having been in the job only a few days before the prank call after a career in regional radio.
They said the idea for the call had come from a team meeting before the show. Greig said she did not think their prank would work.
"We thought 100 people before us would've tried it. We thought it was such a silly idea and the accents were terrible and not for a second did we expect to speak to Kate, let alone have a conversation with anyone at the hospital. We wanted to be hung up on," she said.
The DJs said the protocols established by the radio station’s parent company were followed before the phone call was made.
“There are processes in place,” Christian said.
Christian drew headlines only two weeks before the royal prank call by angering fellow passengers with a harmonica-playing stunt aboard pop star Rihanna's private jet.
Complaints pour in
Southern Cross Austereo has received more than 1,000 complaints from Australians over the actions of the popular presenters.
Nurse who was duped by prank call about Duchess Kate found dead
King Edward VII hospital in London is still reeling from being seriously punked by two radio DJ's who called and spoke to Kate's nurse. Meanwhile, the two Australians DJs apologized for their hoax. NBC's Michelle Kosinski reports.
The station said it had tried to contact hospital staff five times over the recordings.
"It is absolutely true to say that we actually did attempt to contact those people on multiple occasions," said Southern Cross Austereo chief executive Rhys Holleran.
"No one could have reasonably foreseen what has happened. I can only say the prank call is not unusual around the world," he said.
John Lofthouse, chief executive of King Edward VII's Hospital, on Monday night issued a statement on the death of Saldanha, calling her "an outstanding nurse and a dearly loved colleague. " He said a memorial fund has been established in her name.
Lofthouse added:
"I know that the family have received huge support from their local community and church. We will be holding a memorial service for Jacintha later this week.
We understand that the family are distraught and need time to reflect on the assistance they require. King Edward VII's Hospital will remain here for them whenever, wherever and however they need us."
Reuters contributed to this report.
More world stories from NBC News:
- Suspect in US envoy's killing in Libya arrested in Egypt
- Climate talks end with deal that's 'not where we want to be'
- PhotoBlog: Hero's welcome for Hamas leader back from exile
- Secretary of state talk opens Rice to criticism -- from left
- Video: Penguins in Tokyo take over as Santa’s elves
Follow World News from NBCNews.com on Twitter and Facebook


These people need to be put in prison. They are responsible for the death of the woman period. What scumbags.
You need to be put in prison for being stupid. Guilty of 1st degree dumbness!!! Sentenced to 20 years of looking at yourself in the mirror saying stupid things!!!
The nurse had children, a husband, and a good job. If all it took to push her over the edge was a stupid prank, then IMHO she wasn't very stable to start with. I agree that the prank was childish, but they couldn't foresee that it would end in suicide.
Perhaps Rush Limbaugh is hiring...
How did the DJ's get past the swithcboard. If they had an inside number where did they get it? The nurse had a dysfunctional idol worship to begin with. What sane person would kill themselves over forwarding a phone call.
The info given out was nothing of consequence. Kate was admitted with severe morning sickness. The attending nurse merely confirmed the complaint.
I Just wanted to say that the person that took the phone felt really bad to put it though but what people are not saying I now her children grow up without a mom. And I am from the US and it does make a me sad. Look at both place as one. If we did that to one of our star's people would go off . But It was the queen of England granddaught and the Star's are not the same as the Queen of England (kate) granddaught.
First of all, England is guilty of perpetuating this royalty nonsense. Are you kidding me??? Princes, Kings, Queens, Duchesses, Dukes, in the 21st century!!!!!??? Just because of some stupid lineage??? I mean, my grandfather was a ROYAL pain in the as8, but that doesn't make me special, does it??
I wonder what kind of punishment the hospital itself provided to the nurse after what happened... If they almost fired her I could see more damage in that then anything else.. You can hurt person anytime any day, but nobody kills themselves.
Kids are the only true victims here.
Ah, they are heartbroken. I am sure that the nurses children as saddened that the people who caused their mothers death are, heartbroken.
They can be heartbroken all they want, it isn't going to bring back their mother, wife, sister, daughter, friend. Being heartbroken over causing someones death is NOTHING.
I hope they get sued and the owners of that station are ground into the dirt. Why, because the media and the their tactics have been over looked far to long as just doing what ever it takes to get the job done mentality.
There has got to be some standards that these people have to follow and if they do not then they need to pay the price of the end result.
Christian???
Under your view of life, Timm McCain, the Third Reich was just a fraternity prank, right?
"Vee had a few beers and the next thing we knew we were in Czechoslavakia."
What's next?
"Der Rhineland!"
C'mon my man Jack, THINK for god's sake. Comparing these DJs to the Third Reich? Get off that ledge my man, you're gonna hurt yourself!!!
Pressure killed the nurse. And it wasn't from the DJs.
It's all fun and games until someone gets hurt. I am sure they never thought this would happen but again is getting a laugh at someone else's mistake really that funny. I think not.
The young lady (nurse) undoubtably had other issues. No one commits suicide over a prank call, alone!
And, perhaps it wasn't really suicide.
As a nurse, I'm surprised that this sad situation has focused responsibility on the DJs. When I first heard of the incident, my FIRST reaction was to question the hospital's confidentiality policies. There was a blatant breach of security once that nurse passed forward the call without confirming the callers (i.e. asking for a password). We have stringent policies that protect our patient confidentiality. While the death of this nurse is tragic, that is just it: tragic. No mal-intent, no way to anticipate this outcome. Jokes/pranks are common stunts. Of course the DJs didn't expect their prank call to get through. Had the hospital followed security policies like they're supposed to, the call never would've made it. Where I do fault the DJs is continuing to pursue the call once they realized they were able to get away with highly confidential information. But to blame them for the death of the nurse who failed to follow policy is not fair.
What these disk jockeys did was just a harmless joke. There is NO WAY they could possibly have foreseen what happened! All you people who want the DJs crucified are vindictive, mean, unforgiving, and heartless. It never ceases to amaze me how cruel and unforgiving people can be. The next time you make a mistake that has unforeseen consequences, I how you get skewered by unforgiving, vindictive, heartless, cruel people just like yourselves. It would be what you deserve.
Vindictive, cruel, and heartless?
Which of the parties involved are dead?
Some of you are pretty uptight...this was a prank call to a person who was obviously unstable otherwise why would she commit suicide over a phone call? These DJ's did much less than you hear on the Fux News daily
How do you know she was mentally unstable? Because she acted in a way that YOU wouldn't have?
All claims of her to date portray her as a highly skilled and trusted professional. To be duped in that way and portrayed as so gullible and untrustworthy worldwide may have been too much for her, especially if she defined herself in any way by her job.
To convict the 2 DJ's for a death that happened thousands of miles away is pure stupidity. The nurse who took her own life much have had a mental problem already, because I can not see any reason to kill yourself, let alone someone else because of something so stupid as a prank call. So yes the nurse was already a mental case for what she did to herself. I feel sorry for her family, but the truth is the truth, her state of mind was already in bad shape. The hospital should have had better security for answering such calls before they even got to the nurse.
Agreed. The villification of the DJs is out of hand. People need a place to lay blame and they have chosen these two as the sacrificial lambs.
I really do think this whole issue is getting blown out of proportion. I understand the sadness and grief that this has brought onto the nurses family but am phone call doesn't just make someone want to kill themselves. There had to be other things going on in the nurses life that was pushing her to the edge. Yes, the phone call may of been the cherry on top of the sundae but give the radio anchors a break. They were just doing what they thought would be taken as a joke and help with ratings. Radio personality's always push the envelope on there show; they have to keep up with what society thinks is funny. If a prank call to the hospital where the Dutch's is staying is what it is, then so be it. Heck, look at Howard Stern, nothing more needs to be said.
If they can outwardly lie on television, their so-called grief and empty feelings have no meaning to the majority of reasonable people. This is just another example of the deadly results hoaxes can have. The blame and shame shall rest with them forever. Not so funny now is it.
They both need to be fired and the radio station needs to lose it's license in addition to manslaughter charges filed against those two clowns.
Missouri Bob, Are you Todd Akin???
IMHO radio stations around the world need to review their prank policies. Not all jokes need to be banned, but obviously something breaking medical confidentiality rules should not be allowed. To me this was not the fault of the DJs.
Most radio stations have to get their pranks and contests approved by someone in management before they are put on the air. DJs can't just willy nilly decide to do stuff. They have bosses just like the rest of us and have to get management's stamp of approval on things also. Why did their management approve the prank? That process needs to be reviewed.
The media is just as guilty, and so is the general public. Stop the obsession with this woman's pregnancy, this is not the first woman to become pregnant nor will it be the last.
They've discussed these radio 'prank calls' on my local radio station. I believe here in the US, what you hear are all staged. They are no longer allowed to do this kind of stunt live.
I guess when you globally humiliate someone it doesn't always turn out all laughs and chuckles. I hope they learned something...
What if I was telling you a joke and you got distracted by my entertaining ways, and you walked out into the street got run over by a car...no...make it a bus. What "lesson" should I learn?
Whether they are truly remorseful or not, it looks like their actions led to the suicide of another human being. Not such a big joke now, is it. They should be charged the same as anyone who causes a death. To set an example, if nothing else. So should any management who were involved in approving this stunt. Then maybe the creeps who think its okay to generate laughs at other peoples expense, will think twice in the future. Since they only seem to care about themselves, this ought to sink in.
I never for a second thought this was funny.
Another idiot? How many bus loads of you clowns came in today!!
Keep trolling :)
Sick of "adults" behaving like children who don't "know any better". Isn't it time all these jackasses quit using other people's private circumstances for the brunt of their own "pranks". Being a public figure doesn't negate the right to privacy either.Spare me the crocodile tears and grow the f*&! up. Once upon a time kids played pranks knowing that the only ones who could get hurt were themselves and lived with the consequences. Nowadays so called adults act like idiots doing everything they can think of for a laugh at the expense of everyone else. Whatever happened to "think before you act". I have no sympathy for these idiot DJs or anyone else who thinks playing pranks is funny. It's about time we stop using freedom of speech to hurt, insult, demean, humiliate and offend others. One never knows how another will react to being publicly humiliated or left in fear of losing ones job or good reputation. Not every human being is able to "laugh it off". Of course, now the idiot DJs have a small idea since they are now in the public eye for their actions. I hope they are haunted until the day they die.
The DJ's could have gotten the same results had they just PRETENDED to get through doing a skit with accents of the queen and prince charles. The skit should have been called off once they realized they could get through and damage peoples' careers deprodizing patient confidentiality. But unfortunately it's all about ratings and money!
The nurses death is bizzarre. There wasn't anything divuldged, the whole world knew Kate had morning sickness. ???
I hope she was murdered by a loony fanatic and didn't take her own life over something so stupid.
Her suicide is not their fault. We don't know what was going on in her private life, or if she was suffering from depression. Committing suicide is a very extreme reaction to the hoax call....it should have produced a good laugh all around. Even Prince Charles got a chuckle out of it. The Brits, especially, are known for their wicked sense of humor.
I do not like seeing all of the judgments about the two people who made the call...it was funny, and the hospital should not have put the call through, but there was no harm done. There was no information given out that wasn't already given to the press. Give me a break. This was not the fault of the two DJ's...think how awful they must feel.
Their intent is irrelevant. If they caused a death, they are responsible. Regardless of how much other stuff was going on in the nurses life, this could have been the straw that broke her spirit. They are still responsible for that straw.
"I didnt mean too", doesnt get you off the hook, when its caused a death. That why they have charges like "Manslaughter". Its made specifically for people who didnt mean to do it.
Freedom, reading what you have to say is making me violently ill. Do I have a cause of action against you, even though you didn't mean to make me sick?? C'mon, I really can't be THIS much smarter than everyone else, can I? Well...maybe I am.
Keep trolling timm, I already reported you for name calling (above). Trolls are not tolerated here.
You will not upset me in the least, but you might get yourself banned.