Prince WiIliam and wife Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, as they leave the King Edward VII hospital. Source: AFP
2Day FM presenters Mel Greig and Michael Christian. Source: AFP
Jacintha Saldanha was described as ''a lovely woman'' by a neighbour. Picture: Supplied Source: Herald Sun
THE Sydney radio presenters behind the prank call that has been linked to a British nurse's death are said to be "fragile" and undergoing intensive psychological counselling.
Southern Cross Austereo has expressed concerns about the mental health of 2Day FM presenters Mel Greig and Michael Christian following global condemnation after Jacintha Saldanha's death on Friday.
Greig and Christian are being given intensive counselling to deal with the tragic circumstances, an Austereo spokeswoman said.
She said the pair will speak to the media, but the timing will depend on their state of mind, which she described as "fragile".
Meanwhile Southern Cross Austereo was holding an emergency board meeting this afternoon.
Executives were to consider a letter from King Edward VII's Hospital chairman Lord Simon Glenarthur, protesting the ''appalling'' hoax ``in the strongest possible terms''.
''We're considering that letter and I'll be responding to them after I discuss it with my board colleagues later today,'' Southern Cross Austereo chairman Max Moore-Wilton said.
Lord Glenarthur urged Mr Moore-Wilton in the letter to take steps to ensure that the hoax call ''could never be repeated''.
Asked whether he would take action along these lines, Moore-Wilton said: ''I've got really no comment until I have a discussion with my board colleagues.''
The radio duo has been confronted with a barrage of abusive and threatening messages via social media following the death of Ms Saldanha, who took their call to London's King Edward VII Hospital.
AUSTEREO: CEO confident no laws broken
Greig and Christian impersonated the Queen and Prince Charles and sought details about the condition of the pregnant Duchess of Cambridge, who was being treated for severe morning sickness.
Police in London have said there were no suspicious circumstances surrounding Ms Saldanha's death.
A Facebook page, RIP Jacintha Saldanha. Shame upon those stupid Australian DJs, has been bombarded with messages of condemnation since being launched on Saturday.
While some of the posts target the DJs directly, others suggest criticism should be aimed at the practice of radio phone pranks rather than personalities.
"Its a complete stupid...stupid...stupid prank,no respect to others by the radio presenters especially involving the royal family. All i can say,its so sad that now a husband/children has lost a wife/mother in a tragic situation...RIP jacintha," reads one post.
Another says: "It is time we stopped practical jokes/pranks just for the sake of laughng at someone elses expense and getting good ratings..."
"The DJs did what radio show hosts have done for decades--there was no malice, no intent to harm, simply a prank call which at the time seemed pretty funny. No one could have predicted this type of tragic overreaction on the nurse's part," reads a third post.
After a backlash from advertisers, Austereo pulled all ads from 2Day FM until at least Monday.
Austereo chief executive Rhys Holleran said on Saturday Ms Saldanha's death was tragic but could not have been reasonably foreseen, and 2Day FM had done nothing illegal in recording and broadcasting the call.
Meanwhile NSW Police say London officers have been in contact through the Australian Federal Police over the 2Day FM prank.
"I have to stress that the London Metropolitan Police have not actually asked for any action to be taken at this stage," Deputy Commissioner Nick Kaldas told reporters in Sydney.
"They simply wanted to touch base, raise the issues, make us aware of them," he said, adding that the call was fairly routine procedure.
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AAP/AFP
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