- READ MORE: Mel Greig opens up about her recent ‘mental breakdown’ following ‘delayed PTSD’ diagnosis 11 years after her royal prank scandal
Media personality Mel Greig has revealed that she became a parent in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The 41-year-old took to social media on Thursday to drop the bombshell news that she fostered a 14-year-old girl in 2020.
Mel and former co-host Michael Christian made headlines in 2012 when they impersonated Queen Elizabeth and Prince Charles to gain information about Kate Middleton during a hospital stay.
Days later, Indian-born Jacintha Saldanha, the nurse who took the call, killed herself, naming Michael and Mel in her suicide note.
Taking to Instagram today, the radio host shared a collection of photographs celebrating her foster daughter’s 18th birthday.
Media personality Mel Greig has revealed that she became a foster parent in the midst of the COVID-19 Pandemic
Mel and former co-host Michael Christian made headlines in 2012 when they impersonated Queen Elizabeth and Prince Charles to gain information about Kate Middleton (pictured in 2012 with Prince William) during a hospital stay
Days later, Indian-born Jacintha Saldanha (pictured), the nurse who took the call, killed herself, naming Michael and Mel in her suicide note
Mel has urged followers to consider foster caring. She said: ‘You should consider foster caring if you’re in a position to do so, so many kids need safe and happy homes’
Mel also shared the backstory of her fostering process, captioning the post, ‘One of my greatest achievements was becoming a Foster Care Parent. During COVID it was heartbreaking to see the system overwhelmed and kids struggling to have safe homes’.
‘I did the 6-months of training and got my accreditation… The next day 14yr old Jacqueline was at my doorstep’.
‘Today she turns 18 and has grown into a strong, determined and kind young woman and I’m so proud of her. The laws are different state by state and she couldn’t come to QLD with me’.
‘I can’t wait to get back to Sydney and spend more time with her. HAPPY BIRTHDAY Jac, love you always,’ she wrote.
Mel also urged followers to consider foster caring: ‘You should consider foster caring if you’re in a position to do so, so many kids need safe and happy homes,’ she said.
Taking to Instagram, the 41-year-old shared a collection of photographs celebrating her foster daughter’s 18th Birthday
Mel also shared the backstory of her fostering process captioning the post ‘one of my greatest achievements was becoming a Foster Care Parent’
Sharing a concerning message to her account, the public relations and media manager told her followers not to ‘worry’ about her.
It comes after Greig shared a worrisome message with her followers in December, revealing she was taking a break from social media after a recent betrayal.
Currently suffering with ‘delayed PTSD’, Mel told her Instagram followers that she is now taking a break from social media because someone close to her has ‘been beyond awful’.
‘Mentally I need some time out. I’ve been going through a lot lately, mostly behind the scenes,’ the initial image read.
She continued: ‘No one worry about me, I’ve got this and will be back in January with a job that fuels my soul.’
‘I did the 6-months of training and got my accreditation… The next day 14yr old Jacqueline was at my doorstep’ she said
In the caption, Mel continued with her heartfelt message, saying she ‘always promised to share my mental health journey’.
While Michael continued to work for 2Day FM after the royal controversy, Mel struggled to get back into radio after years of negative headlines, public scrutiny and feelings of profound guilt and regret.
‘I applied for over 100 jobs and got 100 no’s back,’ she told Mamamia last year of her attempt at a media industry comeback.
‘A charity wouldn’t even take the risk of letting me work behind-the-scenes stuffing envelopes. I just wanted to do good things for my soul again, and no one was giving me that chance,’ she added.
But after finally scoring a gig at Illawarra’s Wave FM 96.5 in 2015, Mel quit after two years and now works as a public relations and media manager.
When asked by SBS Insight host Kumi Taguchi whether she was scared for own safety during the scandal, the shattered radio presenter replied: ‘I wasn’t scared for my safety because I thought maybe I did deserve to die for what I did.’
In 2012, the former 2Day FM announcer and her co-host Michael Christian (left) were named in the suicide note of British nurse Jacintha Saldanha
Now, over a decade after they impersonated the Queen and Prince Charles to prank the struggling woman Mel has revealed she suffered from a ‘mental breakdown’, reported 9Honey on Tuesday