Michael Christian and Mel Greig have spoken tonight on A Current Affair and Today Tonight.
Both interviews started with the interviewer, Tracy Grimshaw on Nine, and Clare Brady on Seven, checking if the announcers were emotionally fine to complete the interview.
A visibly distressed Mel and Michael answered a wide range of questions about the incident.
Asked how they felt when they heard the news, and what their immediate reaction was, they said;
MC - "Shattered. Gutted. Heartbroken. And obviously our deepest sympathies are with the family and friends, and obviously Mel and I are incredibly sorry. Personally I'm (breaks down for a few seconds in tears) I'm gutted"
Mel - "Theres not a minute that goes by that we don't think about the family and what they must be going through. it's gutwrenching"
MC - "We just hope that her family and friends are as good as they can be and are getting the love and support that they deserve. Naturally we're shattered. We're people too".
When asked who broke the news to them;
Mel - "I don't even remember to be honest"
MC - "There were a group of people, they were there for us and were there to make sure that we were okay, and i'm still trying to make sense of it all, you know, it's still, it's not anything that anyone could have ever imagined was going to happen."
Both Today Tonight and A Current Affair spent considerable time trying to identify who made the decision to put the call to air. Both presenters stated that the decision was not made by them, and MC stated that the call was made "well above us"
MC - "this phone call is the same with any phone call, with any pre recorded segment, there are people that make those decisons for us".
Mel - "it went through the process of any call that we do".
Today Tonight - "you were trying to get personal medical information?"
Mel - "we wanted to be hung up on, with a 20 second segment going to air with us putting silly voices on".
A Current Affair also probed this area;
ACA - "What are the guidelines at 2Day FM. Where you draw the line in the sand?"
Mel - "It's not up to us to make that decision, we just record it and it goes to other departments to make that decision".
MC - "This was put through every filter that these things are put through before it goes to air".
ACA - "What sort of filters?"
MC - "The same filters that everything goes through. We don't get to make those calls, our role is just to record and get the audio, and wait to be told whether it's okay or not, and act upon as we're told".
When asked if they had a message for Jacintha's family if they were watching;
Mel - "I just want to reach out to them, and give them a big hug and say sorry. I hope they get the love, support the care that they need. I can't imagine how they feel right now. We're shattered....and just know that it was never intended to be anything....there was no malice."
Here is the full A Current Affair interview...
Watch the full Today Tonight interview here.
For support and information about suicide prevention call Lifeline on 13 11 14 or www.beyondblue.org.au
Published on Monday, 10 December 2012 19:00
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