Mel Greig

Mel Greig
Greig in 2012
Born (1982-03-13) 13 March 1982 (age 42)
Beaudesert, Queensland, Australia[citation needed]
NationalityAustralian
Occupation(s)Radio and television personality
WebsiteMelGreig.com.au

Mel Greig (born 13 March 1982[citation needed]) is an Australian radio presenter.

She is arguably best known for her brief tenure as co-host of the Hot30 Countdown on 2Day FM, which was broadcast nationally on the Southern Cross Austereo's Today Network until it was officially axed in January 2013 following the suicide of Jacintha Saldanha.[1]

Career

In 2011, Greig competed on the first season of The Amazing Race Australia with her sister Alana.[2] In 2012, she began co-hosting the Hot30 Countdown on 2Day FM with Matty Acton, and then Mike Christian.[3]

In December 2012, she and Christian posed as Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Charles to make a prank call to the hospital where Catherine Middleton was convalescing. It backfired, leading to the suicide of Jacintha Saldanha and the axing of the radio program.

In 2015, Greig was a contestant on the fourth season of The Celebrity Apprentice Australia.[4] In January 2016, she returned to radio, co-hosting on The Hot Breakfast on 96.5 Wave FM with Travis Winks.[5][6]

In 2018, Greig left Wave FM and moved back to Sydney.[citation needed].

Greig writes an online dating column for Yahoo Be and has contributed articles to Mamamia, an Australian women's website.[7][8]

Greig has endometriosis and is an ambassador for Endometriosis Australia.[9]

Royal prank

Main article: Suicide of Jacintha Saldanha

In December 2012, Greig and Christian broadcast a prank call they had made to King Edward VII Hospital, where Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge was convalescing, posing as the Queen and Prince Charles. It later transpired that one of the nurses who answered the call, Jacintha Saldanha, committed suicide as a result of the prank and the media attention it generated.[10] Greig made a statement at the inquest, while 2Day FM has, to date, rejected any blame for Saldanha's death.[11]

The Hot30 Countdown was taken off the air on 12 December.[12] It was officially axed the following month.[1] In an interview with ITV's This Morning program in 2019, Greig said that she was the victim of a "witch hunt".[13]

References

  1. ^ a b "Austereo axes royal pranksters' show". ABC News. 28 January 2013. Retrieved 21 August 2023.
  2. ^ Leo, Jessica (24 May 2011). "Tale of two amazing sisters". The Advertiser. Retrieved 27 February 2017.
  3. ^ "Mel's got stars in her eyesight". The Advertiser. 27 May 2012. Retrieved 27 February 2017. [permanent dead link‍]
  4. ^ McMahon, Neil (17 September 2015). "Celebrity Apprentice Australia gives Mel Greig a chance to forge a second act". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 27 February 2017.
  5. ^ Galvin, Nick (27 January 2016). "Mel Greig on 96.5 Wave FM three years after royal prank". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 1 March 2017.
  6. ^ Savage, Desirée (19 December 2015). "Former 2Day FM host Mel Greig gets her first radio gig in three years at Wollongong's Wave FM". Illawarra Mercury. Retrieved 1 March 2017.
  7. ^ "Mel Greig". Yahoo7. Retrieved 1 March 2017.
  8. ^ "Mel Greig". Mamamia. Retrieved 1 March 2017.
  9. ^ Wachsmuth, Lisa (11 June 2016). "Mel Greig opens up on her battle with endometriosis". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 1 March 2017 – via Illawarra Mercury.
  10. ^ Davies, Caroline (11 September 2014). "Jacintha Saldanha 'took blame' for Duchess of Cambridge prank call". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 4 July 2020.
  11. ^ Davies, Caroline (12 September 2014). "DJ apologises to Jacintha Saldanha's family as nurse's death ruled suicide". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 4 July 2020.
  12. ^ Quinn, Karl (12 December 2012). "Radio prank network to donate profits to memorial fund". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 27 February 2017.
  13. ^ O'Sullivan, Kyle (19 August 2019). "Australian prank call DJ contemplated suicide after Kate Middleton nurse's death". Daily Mirror. Retrieved 4 July 2020.