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ONE OF THE Australian DJs involved in the prank-call to a London hospital that revealed details about Kate Middleton’s pregnant condition, and which had tragic consequences when a nurse committed suicide has been named as ‘Top Jock’ by his radio bosses.
Michael Christian and former co-host Mel Greig, made the phone call to London’s King Edward VII Hospital in December pretending to be Queen Elizabeth and Prince Charles.
Jacintha Saldanha was the nurse that transferred the call from the DJs to a colleague who gave away details about the Duchess of Cambridge’s severe morning sickness.
The coffin of nurse Jacintha Saldanha at a church in her hometown Shirva, near Mangalore in southwest India on 17 December 2012. (AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool)
Southern Cross Austereo awarded Christian the prize as part of a company-wide ‘Next Top Jock’ competition that pits on-air jocks from the Today Network all around Australia against each other for weekly points to determine who would be crowned the best in the land.
Christian, who now presents a morning show alone on Melbourne’s Fox FM, has won a trip to LA.
In a statement on the company’s website, he hinted at the incident in his acceptance of the prize
Britain’s Prince William and his wife Kate leaves the King Edward VII hospital in central London on 6 December 2012. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant, File)
“From the start I felt like I had something to prove to myself,” he said. ”That regardless of all that’s happened in the past few months I’m still at the top of my game. So it felt good to see my name at the top of the final leader board.”
Australia’s Communications Minister Stephen Conroy said the award was in poor taste given the circumstances.
“I think there’s a bit of bad taste involved there,” he told Melbourne radio station 3AW on Wednesday.
“There were some very serious consequences of what was a prank, and to be seen to be rewarding people so soon after such an event, I think, is just in bad taste.”
Michael ‘MC’ Christian’s pictures on his radio profile page. (Image: Fox.com/MC)
- Additional reporting © AFP, 2013
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It was an awful thing that could have happened to a lot of DJ’s and I’m all for him being able to carry on in his career (hopefully a more cautious man) but this is fairly insensitive.
Agree totally @David Murphy. He might be a top jock but this award just brings the whole tragic prank into the limelight again. Very insensitive on the part of the award givers
I never believed it was fair to the radio hosts, to be blamed for the suicide of that poor nurse… But ye, this is insensitive of the station for sure. With all that happened, this host should have been left out of the running for the award.
Insensitive to say the least.
She isn’t even buried 6 months and here they are giving out awards to the prankster who made a fool out of her.
No shame.
That woman had issues and is no way that pranksters fault.
Blame culture at work again.
Tragic story but I wouldn’t blame the DJ. I’m sure if the events that transpired after the prank had not occurred many would have found the phone call funny. Once again a tragic story for the family and the poor woman but I wouldn’t blame the DJ entirely for what occurred afterwards.
Top Jerk would be more apt…
It’s NOT the djs fault though (as has been said here) that the outcome of the prank was tragic.
He was doing his job and didn’t for a second think he would be transferred to the on duty nurse and given info.
Prank calls on radio are great entertainment for listeners.
I’m sure this guy has been though enough without blaming him for something that was essentially out of his control
In a sentence, this award shouldn’t have been given out at this time
In fairness she must have had a lot more stuff going on in her life.
Clown
It isn’t his fault. The media is at fault for continuing to bring this up. We all listen to todayfm and laugh about Mario rosenstock takin the p@# out of people, it’s harmless. Leave the lad alone
This woman didn’t kill herself because of this prank call. All she did was transfer that call. She wasn’t even the person they pranked into giving up he information.
If he is deserving of this award then fair play to him.
Perhaps it’s a hoax?
There isnt anything harmless about pranking a nurse on duty, getting information on a patient under false pretences and broadcasting the conversation to the world without the nurses prior consent. How did those idiot djs think the nurse would react at being made a laughing stock. Would there be a threat to her job? Terrible prank with terrible consequences. And now he gets an award….. Stupid Aussie drongoes..
The poor woman obviously had mental problems, we all enjoy a good laugh and would have thought if funny at the time had we heard the call.
Not the DJ’s fault but very insensitive of them to give him the award, don’t blame the DJ.
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