Radio DJ Iain Lee urges station to make call with suicidal man available to replay: 'An important thing to hear'

The radio DJ who helped save a suicidal caller's life by keeping him on the line until an ambulance arrived wants others to be able to hear the full exchange, because he believes it's an "important thing to hear".

Iain Lee received a call from a man identified only as Chris on Wednesday, while taping his talkRADIO show Iain Lee’s Late Night Alternative. Chris, who said he was nearly 60, told Lee he had taken an overdose and, according to the radio host, was "lying in a street in Plymouth, dying".

The show's team managed to get details of the caller's appearance and location, helping emergency services assist him as fast as possible. Chris was located half an hour into the call.

Lee returned to his show on Thursday and further discussed the incident. The radio DJ, who appeared on I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! last year, has openly discussed his own mental health, and said he has suffered from suicidal thoughts while coming off anti-depressants.

He said some listeners have asked him where the audio of his phone call with Chris has gone. The call currently does not appear to be available for replay in full online, be it in podcast form or on YouTube.

"I don't know why it got taken off the website. I don't know why it got taken off. I think that's a really bad decision. I don't know why," Lee said.

His co-host Katherine Boyle chimed in: "I think there's concern about how Chris might feel about it once he starts recovering. I think that's what the idea is."

"I hate to say it," Lee replied, "it's kind of too late for that."

Lee revealed he and his team spoke "for ages" trying to decide whether the call should be published as a podcast.

"And we decided yes, it should go out as a podcast but they don't want it to go out as a podcast," he added.

Boyle said she had made the podcast in question and was waiting for permission to post it.

Lee explained he wanted the call to be made available for replay "not to be gawkish or mawkish or exploitative, just because we felt it was kind of a really important thing to hear. It's horrendous."

"There is no problem that can't be solved," he said before opening up about his own suicidal thoughts.

The radio host added: "But everything can be resolved to a fashion that is less painful than taking your own life. That's the thing. It really can."

He and Boyle then praised the work of the Samaritans, reminding listeners to dial 116 123 for assistance.

Lee and Boyle have been commanded for their handling of the phone call.

During his exchange with Chris, Lee offered supportive words such as: "Chris, I love you brother, you deserve better than this. You deserve better than this, and whatever has happened, I promise you it can be sorted. I guarantee that whatever has happened, it can be sorted out.

"It might not be easy, but it can be sorted, I promise you. It is better than you doing this."

After the show, Lee wrote on Twitter: "Tonight we took a call from a man who had taken an overdose. He was lying in a street in Plymouth, dying. We managed to keep him online, get a description of what he looked like and was wearing, work out where he was and send an ambulance and police to him.

"Kept him on the phone for 30 minutes while he got harder to understand. Long periods of silence where I thought he'd died. F***, that was intense and upsetting. Thanks for your kind words. I really hope he makes it."

For confidential support in the UK, contact the Samaritans at 116 123.

In the US, contact the Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255.