This Is The Liveliest Mortuary Worker You'll Ever Hear
16 August 2018, 14:19 | Updated: 16 August 2018, 14:29
Tom Swarbrick didn't expect to speak to such a "jolly" mortuary worker when discussing organ donation.
Tom Swarbrick was discussing the new opt-out organ donation system - where the majority of people, (with certain exceptions,) will be considered organ donors unless they have explicitly recorded a wish not to be.
But the debate got sidetracked slightly when Ellie from Bermondsey rang in.
She told Tom she worked in a public mortuary and had just come out of a post-mortem preparing five bags of organs for "repatriating to the deceased."
Ellie lamented: "It's such a waste. How many lives could that save?"
But the LBC presenter couldn't believe how "lively" Ellie sounded asking her: "How are you so jolly after coming out of a post mortem?"
Ellie went on to give the listeners a fascinating insight into her duties including showering the bodies, shampooing their hair and dressing them.
Tom then asked: "Do you ever talk to them [the dead bodies?]"
She replied: "All the time... If you accidentally nudge them or drop their arm, you'll say "Oh I'm so sorry Mr So-and-So."
Laughing, Tom said "I love that... that's possibly the most British thing ever.'
LBC's listeners loved Ellie, tweeting:
@TomSwarbrick1 what a caller Ellie the mortuary lady was, one of the most interesting callers to LBC in a long time!!
— Luke Evenden (@evenden_luke) August 16, 2018
