Erin Jayne Plumber was just 42 when she died by suicide and now her widower has tragically passed away, leaving their three daughters behind. We take a look back at the TV’s star life before
Three children have been left orphaned after the husband of Australian TV presenter Erin Jayne Plummer died suddenly, two years after his wife’s death to suicide.
Alan Plummer was 49 and lived in the upmarket Northern Beaches suburb of Freshwater, in Sydney, where he had recently sold the family’s four bedroom home they had owned for more than two decades.
“Officers from Northern Beaches Police Area Command will prepare a report for the information of the Coroner regarding the death of a 49-year-old man at Freshwater on Sunday,” said a spokesperson for the NSW Police Force. A source told Mail Online Alan’s passing was “tragic”.
Erin had been best known for hosting Australian talk show Studio 10 and when her colleagues broke the news of her death on social media, they described her as “a gorgeous human inside and out”. Alan was the former director of a now-defunct company called Shine VIP Tours Australia PTY LTD.
Erin, who was just 42 when she died, had a degree in journalism and was part of the press team at the Sydney Olympics in 2000. Her rise to fame began when she was spotted on a Sydney’s famous Manly Beach and asked to star in an international tourism campaign, which was broadcasted on US TV channel NBC.
The broadcaster appeared regularly on Australian TV channels Today Extra and Studio 10, hosting a show called Aerobics Oz Style for six years. She was also known for her advertorials, featuring everything from massage chairs to steam mops.
Before her tragic death, Erin had first been a sportswoman, winning 11 national synchronised swimming titles and representing her country at three world championships. She was a talented surf lifesaver too.
The hardworking TV star’s final posts on Instagram shows her enjoying a work trip to New Zealand after two years of lockdowns due to the pandemic. “Great fun on set and so good to travel again,” she wrote, with one photo showing Takapuna Beach on Auckland’s North Shore where she was working on an advertorial.
A post from Erin’s friend and Studio 10 colleague Sarah Harris after her death revealed more about her life. “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,” wrote Sarah.
“Erin was just a gorgeous human inside and out and if it wasn’t for TV, Erin Jayne perhaps might have had a sporting career. She represented Australia in synchronised swimming and even surf life-saving. There is no question Erin Jayne was a high achiever and certainly a gold medal mum to her three young girls.”
When the news of her death broke, dozens flocked to Freshwater Beach to gathered together for sunrise, with attendees encouraged to bring “red frogs (Australian sweets) and a cup of cheap coffee from the BP, things she loved”. A GoFundMe page was created to raise money for Erin’s family, quickly raising tens of thousands of dollars.
Speaking at the star’s funeral her eldest daughter, then 15, said “She brought so much light to the world that we didn’t realise her heart was in so much pain. She’s not ours anymore but we are hers forever.”
The TV star’s youngest child added: “I can’t say much because she was so awesome and amazing. You were the key of the whole galaxy and world and all of the country to me.”
For emotional support you can call the Samaritans 24-hour helpline on 116 123, email jo@samaritans.org, visit a Samaritans branch in person or go to the Samaritans website.
