Australian television anchor Erin Jayne Plummer died on May 22. She was 42. Friends of the Studio 10 co-host said she took her own life after a long battle with mental illness. On May 23, her colleagues Sarah Harris and Angela Bishop told audiences Plummer died “suddenly.” Plummer is survived by her husband and three young daughters.
Plummer hosted advertorial content on Studio 10, broadcaster Channel 10’s morning show, for over two decades, reports News.com.au. Harris described Plummer as a “gorgeous human inside and out” and said the show “lost a little bit of sparkle” after her death. “For two decades, Erin Jayne has been a friendly and familiar face on Australian television, for a lot of that she’s been brightening up our mornings with her bubbly personality and megawatt smile,” Harris said.
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The host might have “had a sporting career” if she didn’t work in television, Harris said of Plummer. “There is no question Erin Jayne was a high achiever and certainly a gold medal mum to her three young girls,” Harris said. “We’ll miss your sunshine around the studio Erin Jayne, and all of us here are sending lots of love and strength to her family.”
Plummer’s broadcasting career began when she was “plucked from a Sydney beach” to star in a tourism campaign, Bishop said. Plummer also served as a spokesperson for Aerobics Oz Style and hosted shows for MTV, Guest TV, TVSN, Totally Active TV, and Channel 10 Sport for the Nutri-Grain Ironman Series. She also appeared in several commercials for other brands. Plummer had a degree in journalism and worked for the Sydney Organizing Committee for the Olympic Games at the Aquatic Center for the 2000 Sydney Olympics.
After news of Plummer’s death broke, her friends spoke out on social media, notes The Daily Mail. One friend said she “loved her girls boundlessly,” but was not her “bouncy, energetic self” recently. “I wish we had found her a way through,” the friend said. In his tribute, Plummer’s father, Peter Gard, said her daughters are “little mini versions of her.” Plummer’s daughter Jazzy is already following in her mother’s footsteps by becoming a swimmer. “Newer versions of Erin in the blocks. Jazzy’s a rocket… just as tall as me and size 12 feet… or flippers,” Gard said of his granddaughters.
A family friend established a GoFundMe accountย to help Plummer’s husband and her daughters. The fund flew past its $5,000 AUD goal and has raised over $26,760 AUD in just seven days. “Never met a more beautiful soul. Beautiful to everyone. I am beyond sorry and heartbroken to hear this news,” one donor wrote. “Much love to all of Erin’s family and close friends.”
If you or someone you know is in crisis, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or contact the Crisis Text Line by texting TALK to 741-741.
