{{short description|Australian journalist, radio and television personality}} {{Use dmy dates|date=March 2017}} {{Infobox person | name = Mel Greig | image = Mel Greig (7319009182).jpg | alt = | caption = Greig in 2012 | birth_name = | birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1982|03|13}} | birth_place = Beaudesert, Queensland, Australia{{cn|date=March 2024}} | death_date = <!-- {{Death date and age|df=yes|YYYY|MM|DD|1982|09|19}} (death date then birth date) --> | death_place = | other_names = | occupation = Radio and television personality | years_active = | known_for = | notable_works = | website = {{URL|melgreig.com.au|MelGreig.com.au}} }}
'''Mel Greig''' (born 13 March 1982{{cn|date=March 2024}}) is an Australian radio presenter.
She is arguably best known for her brief tenure as co-host of the ''Hot30 Countdown'' on 2Day FM, which was broadcast nationally on the Southern Cross Austereo's Today Network until it was officially axed in January 2013 following the suicide of Jacintha Saldanha.<ref name=axes>{{cite news|url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-01-28/austereo-royal-pranksters-show/4487548|title=Austereo axes royal pranksters' show|author=<!--Not stated--> |date=28 January 2013|work=ABC News|publisher= |access-date=21 August 2023|quote=}}</ref>
==Career== In 2011, Greig competed on the first season of ''The Amazing Race Australia'' with her sister Alana.<ref>{{cite news |last=Leo |first=Jessica |date=24 May 2011 |title=Tale of two amazing sisters |url=https://www.adelaidenow.com.au/ipad/tale-of-two-amazing-sisters/news-story/2c4eb549a32a33263266c918430236b6 |newspaper=The Advertiser |access-date=27 February 2017}}</ref> In 2012, she began co-hosting the ''Hot30 Countdown'' on 2Day FM with Matty Acton, and then Mike Christian.<ref>{{cite news |date=27 May 2012 |title=Mel's got stars in her eyesight |url=http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/entertainment/celebrity/mels-got-some-stars-in-her-eyes/news-story/a07199a9b49de4eb1bf238e7ac1ebfc0 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191215194434/https://www.adelaidenow.com.au/entertainment/celebrity/mels-got-some-stars-in-her-eyes/news-story/a07199a9b49de4eb1bf238e7ac1ebfc0 |url-status=dead |archive-date=15 December 2019 |newspaper=The Advertiser |access-date=27 February 2017}} </ref>
In December 2012, she and Christian posed as Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Charles to make a prank call to the hospital where Catherine Middleton was convalescing. It backfired, leading to the suicide of Jacintha Saldanha and the axing of the radio program.
In 2015, Greig was a contestant on the fourth season of ''The Celebrity Apprentice Australia''.<ref>{{cite news |last=McMahon |first=Neil |date=17 September 2015 |title=Celebrity Apprentice Australia gives Mel Greig a chance to forge a second act |url=http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/tv-and-radio/celebrity-apprentice-australia-gives-mel-greig-a-chance-to-forge-a-second-act-20150916-gjofh9.html |newspaper=Sydney Morning Herald |access-date=27 February 2017}}</ref> In January 2016, she returned to radio, co-hosting on ''The Hot Breakfast'' on 96.5 Wave FM with Travis Winks.<ref>{{cite news |last=Galvin |first=Nick |date=27 January 2016 |title=Mel Greig on 96.5 Wave FM three years after royal prank |url=http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/tv-and-radio/breakfast/mel-greig-on-965-wave-fm-three-years-after-royal-prank-20160127-gmex62.html |newspaper=Sydney Morning Herald |access-date=1 March 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Savage |first=Desirée |date=19 December 2015 |title=Former 2Day FM host Mel Greig gets her first radio gig in three years at Wollongong's Wave FM |url=http://www.illawarramercury.com.au/story/3590132/mel-greigs-second-chance-in-wollongong/ |newspaper=Illawarra Mercury |access-date=1 March 2017}}</ref>
In 2018, Greig left Wave FM and moved back to Sydney.{{citation needed|date=August 2023}}.
Greig writes an online dating column for ''Yahoo Be'' and has contributed articles to ''Mamamia'', an Australian women's website.<ref>{{cite web |title=Mel Greig |url=https://au.be.yahoo.com/profile/mel-greig/ |publisher=Yahoo7 |access-date=1 March 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Mel Greig |url=http://www.mamamia.com.au/author/melgreig/ |publisher=Mamamia|access-date=1 March 2017}}</ref>
Greig has endometriosis and is an ambassador for Endometriosis Australia.<ref>{{cite news |last=Wachsmuth |first=Lisa |date=11 June 2016 |title=Mel Greig opens up on her battle with endometriosis |url=http://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/celebrity/mel-greig-opens-up-on-her-battle-with-endometriosis-20160610-gpgvux.html |newspaper=Sydney Morning Herald |via=Illawarra Mercury |access-date=1 March 2017}}</ref>
===Royal prank=== {{Main|Suicide of Jacintha Saldanha}} In December 2012, Greig and Christian broadcast a prank call they had made to King Edward VII Hospital, where Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge was convalescing, posing as the Queen and Prince Charles. It later transpired that one of the nurses who answered the call, Jacintha Saldanha, committed suicide as a result of the prank and the media attention it generated.<ref>{{cite news |last=Davies |first=Caroline |date=11 September 2014 |title=Jacintha Saldanha 'took blame' for Duchess of Cambridge prank call |newspaper=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/sep/11/jacintha-saldanha-took-blame-prank-call-duchess-cambridge-australian-djs-inquest |access-date=4 July 2020 |issn=0261-3077}}</ref> Greig made a statement at the inquest, while 2Day FM has, to date, rejected any blame for Saldanha's death.<ref>{{cite news |last=Davies |first=Caroline |date=12 September 2014 |title=DJ apologises to Jacintha Saldanha's family as nurse's death ruled suicide |newspaper=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/sep/12/jacintha-saldanha-death-suicide-prank-call-dj-apologises |access-date=2020-07-04 |issn=0261-3077}}</ref>
The ''Hot30 Countdown'' was taken off the air on 12 December.<ref>{{cite news |last=Quinn |first=Karl |date=12 December 2012 |title=Radio prank network to donate profits to memorial fund |url=http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/tv-and-radio/radio-prank-network-to-donate-profits-to-memorial-fund-20121211-2b7wy.html |newspaper=Sydney Morning Herald |access-date=27 February 2017}}</ref> It was officially axed the following month.<ref name=axes/> In an interview with ITV's ''This Morning'' program in 2019, Greig said that she was the victim of a "witch hunt".<ref>{{cite web |last=O'Sullivan |first=Kyle |date=19 August 2019 |title=Australian prank call DJ contemplated suicide after Kate Middleton nurse's death |url=https://www.mirror.co.uk/tv/tv-news/australian-prank-call-dj-contemplated-18962262 |newspaper=Daily Mirror |access-date=4 July 2020}}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== * {{Official website}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Greig, Mel}} Category:1982 births Category:Australian radio personalities Category:Australian television personalities Category:Australian women television personalities Category:Living people Category:The Amazing Race contestants Category:People from Beaudesert, Queensland Category:Australian women radio presenters