Holden fury over her pal
wild child.” As a child suffered from eczema was underweight.
She said: “I went off food and just didn’t want to eat. I didn’t like being small. I was picked on and I was the only girl who wore trousers at school. I was really paranoid about my legs.”
But she would let nothing stop her performing.
She idolised Kylie Minogue and was a keen ballet dancer – even dying her ballet tights pink with Ribena when her parents could not afford to buy her new ones.
Her determination paid off and she won a dance scholarship to the Bodywork Company she and in Cambridge at the age of 16. She said: “Musical theatre was the dream and the ultimate goal was the West End. And that’s what I thought I’d end up doing.”
She worked as a waitress and also had a job in a pork factory while trying out for West End shows, and spent a lot of her 20s sofa-surfing at pals’ houses.
Work in adverts led to a part as a “topless blonde” in Danny Dyer’s 2000 film, Is Harry On The Boat? But her TV break came in 2002 when she landed a role as Bubbles in Bo’ Selecta!.
Caroline went on to present shows on CBBC, such as TMi with Sam Nixon and Mark
Rhodes. The jobs kept coming – Gladiators in
2008, I’m A Celebrity in 2009 and The Xtra Factor, 2011, with Olly Murs.
At 31, Caroline began dating 17-year-old One Direction star Harry Styles and her love life came under constant scrutiny.
In 2014, she won Strictly Come Dancing, but was on anti-depressants for six months following the show.
She said: “People see the celebrity lifestyle and assume everything is perfect, but we’re just like everyone else. Everyone is battling something emotional behind closed doors.
“Fame doesn’t make you happy.”
The following year, she landed Love Island and, in 2018, she played Roxie in West End show, Chicago. She was thrilled when Love Island won a BAFTA that same year.
She also defended the show after the death of Mike Thalassitis in March 2019. She said: “None of us know what’s going through someone’s mind and
CAROLINE FLACK ON LOVE ISLAND CONTESTANTS we can’t sit there and speculate. It’s time to think about the bigger picture, about what’s going on with young men and young people and the pressures of modern life.”
Two years ago, Caroline posted a Mothers’ Day photo of herself with Jody and Christine.
The message said: “I love you Mum… I’m so proud that you have raised us to be just like you. To never judge. To never hate. To care for people. To be kind. To work hard. To love.”
Tragically, her family now have to cope with their loss.
BRITAIN’S Got Talent star Amanda Holden is furious at a “lack of humanity” shown to her friend, and her treatment compared to other stars.
Amanda, 49, said yesterday: “Anger doesn’t even begin to cover how I feel about her being thrown to the dogs.
“Why was she not shown the same protection, warmth and importance as others who have struggled? There are criminal gaps in the differences.”
ITV were applauded for showing compassion to troubled star Ant McPartlin after he pleaded guilty to
drink driving. LOSS Amanda
I try to make them comfortable ...it’s my job to have a duty of care
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