Royal prankster ‘gagged' after nurse tragedy, court told
Michael Christian launched Federal Court proceedings last week against Southern Cross Austereo, including for alleged contraventions of the Fair Work Act and whistleblower protections, after his role was made redundant in February. He had been employed by the network for more than 20 years.
Christian alleges he was directed by Austereo to participate in the disastrous hoax with his co-host, Mel Greig, on December 4, 2012, which marked his second day in his then new role as a presenter of the Hot 30 Countdown on Sydney's 2Day FM.
During the stunt, the presenters impersonated the then Prince Charles and Queen Elizabeth in a call to a London hospital where the then Duchess of Cambridge, now the Princess of Wales, had been admitted for severe morning sickness.
The call, aired hours later, unexpectedly resulted in the pair eliciting private medical information about the Duchess. The deception triggered international outrage after Jacintha Saldanha, one of the nurses who was tricked, died by suicide.
The presenters' concerns about the prank and broadcasting the call were dismissed, Christian's lawyers say.
They allege the network 'did not immediately take public accountability' after Saldanha's death but left the co-hosts 'exposed to relentless public vitriol, harassment and abuse, including death threats' as 'convenient fall guys and scapegoats'.
Christian's role was terminated on February 28 this year on the grounds of a purported redundancy, his lawyers say in the court documents released on Wednesday.
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