CW: This article contains references to suicide.
It’s been almost 10 years since the week I went to work and returned home a broken woman.
In 2012 I was involved in the infamous ‘Royal Prank Call.’ It was a normal day at work at the start of the week but by the week’s end, I was being branded a murderer.
I was working my dream job at the time on one of Australia’s biggest radio shows, the Hot 30 Countdown on Sydney’s 2Day FM.
Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge, had been admitted to hospital in London with severe morning sickness. This eventually led to the reveal that she was pregnant with Prince George.
Newborn Prince George being held by his mother, the Duchess of Cambridge Credit: ANDY RAIN/EPA
However, to our surprise, we [Greig and colleague Mike Christian] were immediately transferred to the private nurse of the Duchess.
The outcome of that call had tragic consequences. Jacintha Saldanha, one of the nurses we spoke to during the prank, took her life days after the call went viral.
Jacintha Saldanha, the nurse who picked up the prank call. Source: AFP / STRDEL/AFP via Getty Images
It was like living in an out-of-body experience, floating above and looking down at a broken Mel curled up in the foetal position on the floor, with a partner guarding the balcony fearing the worst could happen.
The instant grief and utter despair was instantaneous.
Jacinta Saldanha's daughter Lisha, husband Ben Barvoza and son Junal. Credit: Dan Kitwood/Getty Images
My first few days were spent googling Jacintha and her family to learn more. I never wanted the joke to be on someone else, I wanted it to be on us.
The guilt I felt was unbearable.
A family lost their wife and mother and to be accused of playing a role in taking her life was beyond devastating.
For the next two years, I was battling for my life.
Battling to fight my mental health illness, fighting to rebuild and fighting to do the right thing.
You see, I’ve always helped people. I didn’t see myself as someone who could play a role in the demise of others. I lost myself.
Online trolls told me to kill myself every day, no one would employ me. Charities wouldn’t even let me stuff envelopes behind the scenes. I was a tarnished and broken woman.
Mel Greig with her dog
But it didn’t take long to realise that no one wanted to employ me out of fear of repercussions.
I now had a reputation. I was tarnished and my talent, work ethic and skill set of 20 years meant nothing.
Would I ever work again? After receiving more than a hundred rejections, I wasn’t sure I would.
Mel Greig holding her pet dog.
But the spotlight felt different and the hours took their toll.
Was I ready to go back and throw myself into the grasp of strangers? I wasn’t so sure.
So instead I embarked on a career outside of radio for a couple of years.
At one point, I worked for a corporate media outlet where two people decided they didn’t want to work with a ‘murderer’ and started a campaign to have me fired.
Up until this point, I had only been labelled a murderer by the press and trolls. This was the first-time people relatively close to me had been so cruel and it broke me once again.
I’m not a murderer. In my life I’ve done my best to help people.
I now understand that suicide is often more complex than one isolated incident causing it. It can be a build up of mental health illnesses and other factors.
It truly breaks my heart to see anyone in that dark place. At my lowest I’ve also harboured suicidal thoughts but I managed to overcome them.
Mel Greig on her 40th birthday.
For 10 years I have been labelled the ‘Royal Prank DJ’ and up until recently I hadn’t really addressed or looked at what that truly meant.
It meant losing friends, losing jobs, losing opportunities, losing confidence and losing your identity. It’s a constant battle to fight for who you are and for what you believe in.
To be labelled one thing that overshadows everything else in your life is heartbreaking and cruel. But it is what it is, I can’t change it.
I now work as a PR and Media Manager for an agency that embraces me as I am. The Mel that cracks jokes in the morning meetings and secures press for her clients and is good at what she does.
I feel seen and wanted again and I’m incredibly grateful.
British nurse Jacintha Saldanha was one of the nurses at the King Edward VII hospital in London who was duped by the prank call made in 2012.
She took her own life days after the prank call went viral, and a British coroner attributed her death partly to the pressure of the hoax and difficulties she had been experiencing with her colleague.
The 46-year-old left three suicide notes, one of which blamed the Australian DJs.
Hear more from Mel's story on the of Insight,
Readers seeking crisis support can contact Lifeline on 13 11 14, the Suicide Call Back Service on 1300 659 467 and Kids Helpline on 1800 55 1800 (for young people aged up to 25). More information and support with mental health is available at and on 1300 22 4636.
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