Studio 10 star Erin Jayne Plummer died on the weekend at aged 42. Suicide has now been confirmed as her cause of death after a battle with mental illness.
Content Warning: This article discusses depression and suicide. If you or someone you know are affected by the following story, you are not alone. To speak to someone, you can call Lifeline on 13 11 14.
Plummer was best known for regularly hosting advertorials on Studio 10 and the shopping channel TVSN.
The Daily Mail has revealed that friends have posted social media comments indicating suicide, with one commenter saying they wish they could have helped “carry the weight of her pain.” A Facebook page has also been set up in her memory that included the phone number of crisis support and suicide prevention organisation Lifeline.
Australian reporters and Studio 10 hosts Sarah Harris and Angela Bishop announced Plummer’s passing on Studio 10 on Monday morning.
“We’ve got some really sad news to share this morning,” said Studio 10 host Sarah Harris said. “Over the weekend, Studio 10 lost a little bit of it’s sparkle with our friend and advertorial host Erin Jayne passing away suddenly.
“Now, for two decades, Erin Jayne has been a friendly and familiar face on Australian tele and for a lot of that, she’s been brightening up our mornings with her bubbly personality and megawatt smile. ”
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“Her career began when she plucked from a Sydney beach to star in an international tourism campaign. Then came aerobics Ozstyle watched by forty million people around the world,” added Angela Bishop.
Harris continued, “Erin was just a gorgeous human inside and out, and if it wasn’t for TV perhaps Erin Jayne might have had a sporting career. She represented Australia in synchronised swimming and even surf lifesaving and there was no question that Erin Jayne was a high achiever and certainly a gold medal mum to her three young girls. We will miss your sunshine around the studio Erin Jayne and all of us here are sending lots of love and strength to her family, you’ll be very missed.”
The popular host is survived by her husband and three daughters.
If you or somebody you care for needs help or information about depression, suicide, anxiety, or mental health issues, contact Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636 or Lifeline on 13 11 14.
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