Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To feel sorry for hoax call Djs

100 replies

PearlyWhites · 10/12/2012 14:02

I don't agree with the hoax call, they didn't think it through but no one could have foreseen what was to happen.

OP posts:
shesariver · 10/12/2012 22:46

The DJs will just swan off to a beach somewhere and laugh everything off with their mates.

And you know this how Xmas Hmm

Viviennemary · 10/12/2012 22:55

I did post on the other thread. But I totally agree with what legoballoon said. She is talking sense.

Sallyingforth · 11/12/2012 15:19

*The DJs will just swan off to a beach somewhere and laugh everything off with their mates.

And you know this how*

Because that fits exactly with their smug attitude displayed during the hoax, after the hoax in their now deleted tweets and facebook messages, and in his barely disguised attitude during the carefully rehearsed interview.

shesariver · 11/12/2012 15:41

Sorry sally you dont have a clue, you are making a huge assumption. Regardless of how poor taste the call was they couldnt possibly have predicted someone would kill themselves and I really dont think they will be laughing at someones death.

Sallyingforth · 11/12/2012 15:53

I never said they could have predicted the death, no-one could.
The point is that they are not really upset about it, just putting on a front to gain sympathy and hope that it won't get taken further.

You can keep your opinion, and I'll keep mine.

Nancy66 · 11/12/2012 16:00

how do you know they're putting on a front?

What a ridiculous thing to say.

threesocksfullofchocs · 11/12/2012 16:01

I have to admit to feeling sorry for the woman dj, she looked so distraught.
I can't imagine either of them thought this would have happened.
it wasn't just down to them as lawyers (so I read) checked it before it aired!!
i also am a little sick of the double standards shown, a crying woman gets no sympathy and is subjected to hate and calls for her to be sacked.....
nothing learnt?

Jux · 11/12/2012 16:03

I have enormous sympathy for the nurse's family. I have loads of sympathy for the djs too.

If you took a hoax call and put it through to a colleague, why would that cause you to kill yourself?

There is no way that anyone could foresee that.

Yes, it was a stupid thing, but that's entertainment for you. To hold those two responsible for the por woman's death is losing all sense of proportion.

susanann · 11/12/2012 16:10

It is obviously a very sad and tragic situation but i do feel some sympathy for the djs. They could not have foreseen the end result of their prank. Yes it was stupid but I dont see it as malicious. I cant help but wonder what else was going on in Jacinthas life to make her commit suicide. It does not seem logical to me that she would take her own life because of the situation she found herself in. The general population in the country didnt know the identity of the nurses involved (as far as I know). It was only after she was found dead that it emerged. I appreciate that it must have been embarrassing but surely more so for the nurse who divulged the information to the djs ?
I feel very sorry for Jacinthas family but I feel there is more to come out about this.

Sallyingforth · 11/12/2012 16:20

I think the interview was carefully planned to gain sympathy for them, and clearly it has worked for many viewers. Remember they are both experienced presenters so can be relied upon to put on a good performance. Tears mean nothing - anyone can cry when their career is on the line.
If you look in the "to feel even less sympathy..." thread you will see that I am not alone in this.
And of course the management is even more responsible, they took the decision to air the recording after failing to get agreement from the victims.

Nancy66 · 11/12/2012 16:22

Sally you are talking shit.

Sallyingforth · 11/12/2012 16:27

Fine. You are entitled to your opinion. You'd better not read the other thread then.

Writehand · 11/12/2012 16:49

I don't agree with monstering the DJs. They did something stupid and silly but that's not manslaughter - no one could have foreseen such extreme reaction. They have paid heavily. They're young and ambitious, but their promising careers are almost certainly over, never to be revived. People don't forget.

Having read about her upbringing & training I can understand the state of mind that drove the poor nurse to suicide. The shame of feeling she'd let down the Queen and the hospital would be huge for someone of her background. It's desperately sad.

I'm a little surprised that a hospital treating royalty, with their extra need for security, privacy, etc. was using a nurse to take calls from the public rather than a PR person or a dedicated receptionist. Surely they must have known press were likely to intrude? How long is it since those topless pictures? How much thought did the hospital managers put into security?

The call could have been from terrorists trying to establish which room Kate was in, rather than silly radio presenters. The sloppy performance of the hospital in protecting the Dss of Y doesn't seem to have been noticed.

PearlyWhites · 11/12/2012 17:05

What nancy66 said

OP posts:
Jux · 11/12/2012 18:22

Whitehand, as I understand it the receptionist who should have been answering calls "wasn't there".

Writehand · 12/12/2012 13:12

Wasn't there, eh? Well that explains everything Smile

I agree with what you wrote earlier, Jux. No one could have foreseen this tragic outcome. It was a silly prank - tho not the sort of thing I find amusing. The poor girl who was vomiting endlessly (my cousin had the same condition - it's vile) and feeling so desperately ill - and all they can think of is some stupid joke.

I'm sure the DJs really are sorry. Anyone would be. You make a joke and someone dies? Ghastly!

There was long bit in the Times explaining that the nurse came from the sort of background where letting down a patient, let alone letting down the royal family, and breaking professional confidentiality would be so desperately shameful that, in the short term, while the balance of her mind was disturbed, death seemed the only option. She was absolutely the worst possible person this could've happened to.

Just one of those terrible screw-ups no one could've predicted.

MrsMuddyPuddles · 12/12/2012 13:19

quote from NellyBluth : "I expect they thought they'd make the call, 'lark' around doing silly impressions of the Queen and Prince Charles and get hung up on by the receptionist, and that was all they expected out of the call."

Yes. And once they started getting real info, they should have been the ones to hang up/confess that they aren't who they said they were. Or else stopped the broadcast at the point where they got transferred in. It's called brains and empathy, neither of which most radio DJs have. I don't have much sympathy for them (or their station's lawyer), given that they were the ones who let the joke go too far.

BTW: the radio station is donating all advertising proffits for the next 3 weeks rest of the year to her family. Which, given that some of Australlias biggest chains have started pulling their ads, won't be much anyway.

Sallyingforth · 12/12/2012 15:22

BTW: the radio station is donating all advertising proffits for the next 3 weeks rest of the year to her family. Which, given that some of Australlias biggest chains have started pulling their ads, won't be much anyway.

But it's a good way of persuading the advertisers to come back to the station!

PumpkinPositive · 12/12/2012 15:29

Remember they are both experienced presenters so can be relied upon to put on a good performance.

Most people I've heard talking about the interview think it did the bloke no favours. How does that sit with your theory?

mamababa · 12/12/2012 15:39

So sally you think it's all crocodile tears and they basically don't give a shit? I agree they are presenters etc but to imply that they couldn't give two hoots that their actions resulted in someone taking their own life is a huge leap. It implies that both of them are unfeeling bastards. I can honestly say I don't know anyone who wouldn't be affected by such a result. I would like to hope that most human beings have a little more concience than that.

RabidCarrot · 12/12/2012 15:50

The could not have know what a total over reaction it would cause, the woman clearly had some under lying issue, as it is so out of proportion.
Hope her family get all the support they need though

Sallyingforth · 12/12/2012 16:10

Most people I've heard talking about the interview think it did the bloke no favours. How does that sit with your theory?
Because they were intelligent enough to see his true nature through the excuses. I did - didn't you?

the woman clearly had some under lying issue
To borrow someone else's phrase, you know this how?

PumpkinPositive · 12/12/2012 16:19

Because they were intelligent enough to see his true nature through the excuses. I did - didn't you

Except that it wasn't about seeing below the surface. His demeanour, posture and body language was what was driving the criticism, not so much the things he said. You said that presenters can be relied on to put in a good performance - the reviews suggest he didn't. A good performer he was not.

Sallyingforth · 12/12/2012 16:25

The things he said were carefully rehearsed, for legal reasons. He had to say they were sorry without saying anything that could be taken as an admission of guilt.
After seeing the interview I agree with the person who said that before long he would be on the beach making light of it.

PumpkinPositive · 12/12/2012 16:39

The things he said were carefully rehearsed, for legal reasons. He had to say they were sorry without saying anything that could be taken as an admission of guilt.

As I stated, its not about what he said.