Royal Hoax DJs Devastated By Nurse Suicide

The two Australian radio hosts who prank called the royal hospital in a hoax to get an update on Kate Middleton's pregnancy are upset about the death of nurse Jacintha Saldanha.

Mrs Saldanha was found dead on Friday, three days after DJs Mel Greig and Michael Christian pretended to be members of the Royal Family asking about the Duchess of Cambridge, who was being treated in hospital for acute morning sickness.

The pair showed their regret in an interview for Channel Nine's 'A Current Affair programme'.

Mr Christian said: "When we thought about making a call it was going to go for 30 seconds we were going to be hung up on, and that was it. As innocent as that."

Ms Greig said: "We thought a hundred 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.''

Speaking of hearing the news of Ms Saldanha's death.

Mr Christian said he felt: "Shattered, gutted, heartbroken and obviously you know. Our deepest sympathies are with the family and the friends."

"It was the worst phone call I've ever had in my life,'' said Ms Greig. "There's not a minute that goes by where we don't think about her family and what they must be going through, and the thought that we may have played a part in that is gut-wrenching."

When interviewed for Channel 7's Today Tonight programme Ms Greig commented: "Unfortunately I remember that moment very well because I haven't stopped thinking about it since it happened and I remember my first question was 'Was she a mother?

"The accents were terrible. You know it was designed to be stupid. We were never meant to get that far from the little corgis barking in the background - we obviously wanted it to be a joke.

"If we played any involvement in her death then we're very sorry for that. And time will only tell.

"There's nothing that can make me feel worse than what I feel right now. And for what I feel for the family. We're so sorry that this has happened to them."

Mrs Saldanha answered the presenters' call believing they were members of the Royal Family. She then put them through to another nurse, who described the Duchess of Cambridge's condition.

Her body was found on Friday morning at hospital staff accommodation. Suicide is suspected and an inquest will be opened in the next few days.

(GK)