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caroline flack

'An extraordinary woman': Tributes paid to TV presenter Caroline Flack

Her death was announced this afternoon.

LAST UPDATE | Feb 15th 2020, 7:28 PM

TRIBUTES HAVE BEEN paid to TV presenter Caroline Flack who has died aged 40.

A lawyer for the Flack family confirmed that Flack died by suicide and was found in her east London flat today. 

“We can confirm that our Caroline passed away today, the 15th of February,” the family said.

“We would ask that the press respect the privacy of the family at this difficult time and we would ask they make no attempt to contact us and/or photograph us.”

Flack was best known for presenting reality show Love Island from 2015 to 2019, along with The X Factor (2015) and Xtra Factor (2011-2013) and Strictly Come Dancing (2014, 2018).

She had been facing court charges, accused of assaulting her boyfriend Lewis Burton, 27.

The former Love Island host allegedly hit Burton over the head with a lamp when he was asleep.

She was arrested and charged with assault by beating after police were called to her flat in Islington, north London, on 12 December.

An ITV spokeswoman said: “Everybody at Love Island and ITV is shocked and saddened by this desperately sad news.

“Caroline was a much-loved member of the Love Island team and our sincere thoughts and condolences are with her family and friends.”

Radio host Dan Wootton paid tribute to Flack, who he said was “one of the most extraordinary women” he’s ever met. 

“She was kind to a fault. She cared like no one else. She was vulnerable. Other people’s feelings meant the world to her,” he tweeted. 

“She deserved so much more. I am truly heartbroken. This is so wrong. So wrong,” he said. 

A number of former Love Island contestants have also paid tribute to Flack on social media. 

“Words can’t sum this up. So sad. Another amazing person taken from this cruel world,” former contestant Chris Hughes tweeted. 

Love Island 2017 winner Amber Davies tweeted: “My heart is actually broken.”

Derry Girls actress Nicola Coughlan tweeted: “I met Caroline Flack last summer, she was so sweet and genuine and couldn’t have been kinder to me. She did not deserve this. It’s absolutely devastating, all my love to her family and friends.”

This Morning host Phillip Schofield paid tribute to Flack with a post on his Instagram stories.

He added text above a message that Flack had posted on social media, which read: “In a world where you can be anything, be kind.”

Schofield wrote: “You poor darling girl my heart is breaking #BeKind.”

If you need to speak to someone, contact: 

  • Aware 1800 80 48 48 (depression, anxiety)
  • Samaritans 116 123 or email jo@samaritans.ie
  • Pieta House 1800 247 247 or email mary@pieta.ie (suicide, self-harm)
  • Teen-Line Ireland 1800 833 634 (for ages 13 to 18)
  • Childline 1800 66 66 66 (for under 18s)

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