How Did Caroline Flack Die? 'Love Island' Host Dead At 40 By Suicide
Rest in peace, Caroline Flack.
getty Before her tragic death, Caroline Flack, the former Love Island host, was looking at a series of charges stemming from an alleged assault she committed on her partner. As a result of that assault, she stepped down from her hosting duties.
So, how did Caroline Flack die? Let's look at what we know about this unfortunate tragedy.
1. How did Caroline Flack die? Initial reports suggest she committed suicide.
A lawyer for Flack and her family released an official statement to the press claiming that Flack died of suicide. She was 40 years old. Flack's lawyer said that her body was found in her East London home on Saturday, February 15, 2020.
2. Love Island sent out their condolences in a tweet.
In a heartfelt tweet, the official Twitter for the show Love Island sent out their condolences to both Flack and her family. The show spokesperson said that the cast and crew were "shocked and saddened" by the news of Flack's death. You can check out the official tweet from the show below.
3. Flack hosted Love Island from 2015 until December 2019.
The death of Flack is even more unfortunate for both fans and cast members of Love Island. Flack, for better or worse, was inextricably connected to the show, as she was the host of the show when it premiered all the way back in 2015. However, in December 2019, she resigned from the show amidst controversy that she'd assaulted her 27-year-old boyfriend, Lewis Burton. And though she pleaded not guilty to the charges, she still felt it necessary to step down from her post. She was replaced by Laura Whitmore, who has hosted the show ever since.
4. She had a long and storied history as a presenter/host.
What made Flack's resignation from Love Island even more devastating is the fact that prior to the alleged assault charge, Flack had a long and storied history as a presenter and a host.
She got her start as a co-host for a British show called TMi, back in 2007, alongside popular British television personalities Sam and Mark. From there, she hosted Gladiators (the British version of the popular American Gladiators), the British version of I'm A Celebrity ... Get Me Out of Here!, and even went on to host The X Factor. In 2014, she became a bonafide superstar when she won her season of Strictly Come Dancing (the British version of Dancing With The Stars).
5. What charges was Flack facing?
According to one report, Flack's 27-year-old boyfriend, Lewis Burton, had petitioned authorities to drop all charges against his girlfriend. He even said he wasn't going to be cooperating in the assault case against her. However, the authorities made clear that, with or without Burton's cooperation, they were going to go forward with their charges.
6. Burton loved Flack, regardless.
Just one day before she took her own life, Burton took to his Instagram stories to wish a Happy Valentine's Day to his embattled girlfriend. And, around the time of her birthday, he posted a photo of the two of them together with the caption, "happy birthday to my little pocket rocket." You can check out the photo below.
7. Her cause of death was revealed.
On Wednesday, February 19, 2020, coroner Sandra Polson told the British coroner's court that Flack died by suicide — and, officially, her cause of death was hanging.
"She had apparently been found hanging,” said Polson, adding that the police tried to revive her when she was found, but were ultimately unsuccessful in doing so.
The official cause of death was listed as "suspension by ligature."
Our thoughts are with Caroline Flack and her family during what is, undoubtedly, a difficult time.
It can be scary when a friend or loved one is thinking about suicide. It's hard to know how a suicidal crisis feels and how to act. Call 1-800-273-TALK (8255) at any time for help if you or a friend is struggling.
Bernadette Giacomazzo is an editor, writer, publicist, and photographer whose work has appeared in Teen Vogue, People, Us Weekly, The Source, XXL, HipHopDX, The Los Angeles Times, The New York Post, BET.com, and more.