Caroline Flack
‘took her life within minutes of her best friend leaving’
Caroline Flack’s best friend stayed with her on Valentine’s Day after the star had been left terrified and frightened when she learnt prosecutors were not going to drop her case. Lou Teasdale had been staying with former Love
Island host Flack at her home in Stoke Newington in London.
The 36-year-old had popped out to the shops and Flack took her own life within minutes of her caring friend leaving the property. Stylist Lou had volunteered to be at her side after family and friends grew increasingly concerned about
Flack’s welfare.
A source last night said Lou had been ‘brilliant’ with her and that
Flack had convinced her friend to go home, persuading her that she was fine after ambulance services visited the property on Friday night. After returning from the shops Lou couldn’t get back into the flat. She called Flack’s father Ian who gained entry to the flat where he found the star’s body.
Speaking to The Sun, a source close to the family said:’ She was absolutely brilliant with her. On Saturday morning Caroline insisted she was fine and persuaded her friend to go home. ‘No one is blaming Lou for a second. She couldn’t have done any more. She is understandably distraught.
It is so awful for her.’ After the ambulance service visited the property in London, Flack ‘refused to go to hospital’ and everyone was ‘convinced’ she was fine.
Flack’s management team slammed the Crown Prosecution Service l for pursuing a ‘show trial’ against the ex-love Island presenter, who killed herself hours after she was told she would face a trial for allegedly assaulting her boyfriend. Her management team described her as ‘vulnerable’ and criticised the CPS for pushing ahead with the case despite her boyfriend Lewis Burton saying he did not want to press charges. He had said she hit him with a lamp at her former home in Islington in December and as part of her bail conditions the pair were banned from contacting each other.
A member of Flack’s management team said the CPS should ‘look at themselves’ and how they pursued a trial ‘without merit’ which resulted in ‘significant distress to Caroline’. The saga surrounding her court case saw her ‘step down’ from hosting Love
Island - the first ever winter series is currently on air that is currently hosted by Laura Whitmore. ITV and Love Island’s producers will now come under scrutiny for that decision and what support they gave her. Reality shows have been warned by Ofcom that they have a duty of care towards their stars.
Flack has been described by friends as feeling ‘she was on her own’ and ‘couldn’t see a way out’, and she was struggling with her mental health and using antidepressants before her death. The TV presenter’s death was confirmed by the family, who said: ‘We can confirm that our Caroline passed away today on the 15th February. We would ask that the press respect the privacy of the family at this difficult time.’
Flack’s death has led to calls for the ITV2 flagship show to be axed. She is the third person connected to the show to have killed themselves after contestants Mike Thalassitis and Sophie Gradon took their own lives. Love Island presenter Laura Whitmore led tributes to
Flack after the news and posted on Twitter: ‘I’m trying to find the words but I can’t’ next to a broken heart emoji.