Michael Christian and Mel Greig break down on A Current Affair, in the first interview since the nurse answering their prank call died. Courtesy Nine Network.
2DAY FM duo Mel Greig and Michael Christian say they are "shattered, gutted, (and) heartbroken" over the tragic end to their prank call controversy.
The suspected suicide of UK nurse Jacintha Saldanha had torn the young radio presenters apart, with Greig telling A Current Affair "the thought that we may have played a part in that is gutwrenching."
The interviews come as Southern Cross Austereo announced a company-wide suspension of prank calls.
Speaking in person for the first time since news of Mrs Saldanha's death was confirmed by King Edward VII Hospital early Saturday, the pair wept at times during the Channel 9 interview, admitting the "simple harmless phone call" had been the joint idea of their production team.
Christian said: "it was just the team sitting down before the show …(we) just had the idea for just a simple harmless phone call. That we thought about making a call it was going to go for 30 seconds we were going to be hung up on, and that was it. As innocent as that."
Michael Christian and Mel Greig hug during their interview on A Current Affair. Picture: Twitter
Greig added: "we thought a hundred people before us would've tried it, we thought it was such a silly idea and the accents were terrible and not for a second did we expect to speak to Kate let alone have a conversation with anyone at the hospital. We wanted to be hung up on."
The pair were told about the death of Mrs Saldanha in a telephone call, a moment described by Grieg as "the worst phone call I've ever had in my life."
Asked their reaction, both broke down in tears, with Greig revealing: "there's not a minute that goes by where we don't think about her family and what they must be going through and the thought we may have played a part in that is gutwrenching."
Greig said: "these prank calls are made every day, on every radio station, in every country around the world and they have been for a long time and no-one could've imagined this to happen."
Radio DJs Michael Christian and Mel Greig talk to Tracy Grimshaw on A Current Affair. Picture: Channel 9
Grimshaw, who previously won a Walkley award in 2009 for a series of crisis interviews (including beleagured footy star and now Triple M breakfast host Matthew Johns), filmed the interview at Austereo's Sydney headquarters this morning.
She said: "These are not your average old war horses who have been through anything like this before. They are at the start of their careers and have not been exposed to anything like this before… where the world's media comes crashing down on them."
The 15-minute interview will run unedited tonight from 6.30pm, with similar access granted to Channel 7's Today Tonight reporter Clare Brady.
The ACA host confirmed she had not put any questions to management about the decision-making process in approving the pre-recorded prank call, which Austereo confirmed had been vetted by lawyers before broadcast last week.
Channel 9 say the did not pay DJs Michael Christian and Mel Greig for the interview. Picture: Channel 9
"It's an essential tenet of fair journalism to give them the right of reply," Grimshaw said, accepting her interview would be criticised in some parts for sympathising with her subjects.
She had earlier taken to Twitter to plead for "wise heads" over the growing condemnation of the 2Day FM DJs, posting two days ago:
"Oh please can we not compound the tragic death of Jacintha Saldanha by bullying the two young radio hosts. Wise heads needed now."
A Current Affair's Tracy Grimshaw offered the 2Day FM DJs support on twitter. Picture: Supplied Source: Supplied
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