Outrage as Australian DJ behind hoax on Duchess of Cambridge’s hospital wins top award despite

Mangalore Today News Network

By Richard Shears and Steve Robson

June 6, 2013: One of the Australian DJs behind the sick prank on the Duchess of Cambridge’s hospital has sparked outrage again after accepting a national award for his stunt.

Michael Christian, who paired with Mel Greig during the hoax on Australia’s 2Day FM, has been named the ’next top jock’ of the station and now describes himself as being ’at the top of my game.’

His comments come despite the fact that the nurse who took his initial call Jacintha Saldanha, 46, was found hanged three days after the incident.

Australian DJs Mel Greig (right) and Michael Christian (left) were responsible for hoax calls to the hospital treating the Duchess of Cambridge

Nurse Jacintha Saldanha (left) was found hanged three days after the hoax call. Mr Christian (right) has now been named ’next top jock’ at his radio station and said he was ’at the top of my game’

Along with the award he has won a trip to Los Angeles.

In a statement after receiving the gong, Christian said: ’From the start, I felt like I had something to prove to myself... 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!’

Christian and Greig called King Edward VII hospital where the Duchess of Cambridge was being treated last December pretending to be the Queen and Prince Charles.

Mrs Saldanha failed to see their poor impersonations and transferred them through to another nurse who revealed some details about her condition.

The stunt drew widespread criticism with the the hospital’s boss John Lofthouse saying: ’This was a foolish prank call that we all deplore.’

Three days later Jacintha Saldanha was found hanged at her London accommodation.

Only two months ago, it emerged that in one of the three letters she left, Mrs Saldanha directly accused the two Australian DJs of driving her to her death.

She even said they should pay the mortgage for the Bristol home where her accountant husband Benedict Barboza, 49, and children Junal, 17, and Lisha, 14, still live.

In the handwritten note, addressed to her managers at the Edward VII hospital, she said: ‘Please accept my apologies. I am truly sorry. Thank you for all your support.

‘I hold the Radio Australians  Mel Greig and Michael Christian responsible for this act. Please make them pay my mortgage. I am sorry. Jacintha.’

Despite the furore, the owners of the Australian station, Southern Cross Austero, have decided to name Michael Christian as its top DJ.

Accepting the award the 26-year-old said: ’If this competition has taught me anything, it’s that there’s a LOT of talent in this company.

’Plus it’s given all our announcers access to ideas, ways of thinking and people we might (not) normally have day-to-day contact with.’

MP Keith Vaz, said giving an award to Christian was ’distasteful and disgraceful’.

The chairman of the Commons Home Affairs Select Committee: ’It is ludicrous that the company that employs this DJ, having faced such international condemnation, should have given the award to him.

’It sends out completely the wrong message at the wrong time for the wrong reasons.

’The family are still grief-stricken and await the results of the inquest, which will resume in September.’

Twitter users also took to the social network to express disgust at the decision.

chelle wrote: ’I don’t think DJ #MichaelChristian should have received that award. That prank caused so much harm, intentional or not. Be responsible.’

Dale Anderson added: ‏ ’Royal radio prank dj Michael Christian gets Aussy dj award... wtf??? Be a man dont accept it... #noshameor not. Be responsible.’

Christian’s reaction is a far cry from the tearful interview he and Miss Greig gave in the aftermath of Mrs Saldanha’s death.

He said at the time: ’Our deepest sympathies are with the family and friends of all those affected.

’Obviously Mel and myself are incredibly sorry for the situation and what’s happened. We hope that they [Mrs Saldanha’s family] are doing OK and they’re getting the love and support that they deserve and need right now.’

Christian’s co-host Miss Greig is said to be still suffering remorse over the prank and the nurse’s death - and has reported being frozen out by Southern Cross Austereo.

Of the pair, she is the only one who has offered to travelled to London to give evidence at the inquest of 46-year-old Miss Saldanha - expected to be held in September - and remains in limbo with her bosses saying they are working for her to return to work ’at a time that’s right for her’.

Australia’s Communications Minister Mr Conroy has condemned the decision to give Christian the award.

He said: ’I think there’s a bit of bad taste involved there,’ Mr Conroy said on Melbourne radio station 3AW.

’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.’

Australian author and former 2Day FM presenter Wendy Harmer said industry insiders are ’bewildered and embarrassed’ by the decision.

Writing in the Guardian she said: ’What a slap in the face for Saldana’s family. What an appalling message to send to staff.

’Did they mean to say: “Get your face out there. Do anything. Whatever it takes”?

’Because that’s how this is being read. And to say it’s not a good look is a wild understatement.’

News of Christian’s award comes after it was reported by Adelaide’s Sunday Mail newspaper that the radio station’s management had distanced themselves from Miss Greig, 30.

An unnamed source told the paper that the producers who were involved in the prank and Mr Christian had not been having much contact with Miss Greig.

’It seems as though everyone has gone back to work as though nothing has happened,’ the source said.

Miss Greig’s lawyers have said she wants to testify at the inquest into Miss Saldanha’s death.

The newspaper suggested that Miss Greig had been stopped from sending a condolence letter to the nurse’s family.

As part of Mr Christian’s award trip to Los Angeles he will be taken on a tour of the studios of the city’s leading radio station.

The apparent split between himself and Miss Greig was not foreseen by either of them when they pulled off the prank in December, as they later admitted in an interview with an Australian current affairs TV programme.

Courtesy: Dailymail London