When Caroline Flack tragically took her own life almost five years ago, she didn’t know the extent of the consequences.
To the outside world, the former Love Island presenter, who had just turned 40, appeared to be showered with love.
She had a great group of friends and a loving family who had faithfully supported her as she faced a humiliating day in court following her arrest in December 2019 after allegedly hitting her boyfriend Lewis Burton with a lamp.
The trial, scheduled for March 2020, is likely to include police body camera footage of a distraught Caroline, nearly naked and covered in her own blood, which some feared would be too much for her.
Unfortunately, their fears were confirmed. Within hours of finding out that she was definitely going to be prosecuted, Caroline was found dead in her flat in north London on February 15, 2020.
The fallout continues, most recently with a controversial television documentary that, before it has even finished filming, has caused a rift between Caroline’s heartbroken mother Christine and her closest friends.
Former Love Island presenter Caroline Flack was found dead in her flat almost five years ago.
Caroline pictured with her heartbroken mother Christine, who is central to a new documentary about her daughter on Disney+ which will coincide with the fifth anniversary of her death.
Last week, the Mail revealed how Christine is central to the new documentary about Caroline on Disney+, which will coincide with the fifth anniversary of her death. It will forensically detail his last 24 hours and attempt to provide some answers as to why he died and whether his life could have been saved.
At the heart of the matter is the question of why Caroline’s most loyal friends, Louise Teasdale and Mollie Grosberg, who had been so concerned for Caroline’s well-being after a suicide attempt the previous day that they rushed to her side, They left her alone in her apartment on the day she finally took her own life.
And while it’s understandable that any mother would want to know the truth about the events that led to her daughter’s death, Christine’s decision to participate in the documentary (and apparently question her friends’ actions on that unfortunate day) has sparked anger. .
—Why did it fall to Caroline’s friends to take care of her? a close friend of Louise’s, a stylist, asked me this week. ‘Where was his family? Louise had to return to her little daughter, she couldn’t stay any longer. They had been with Caroline for hours and hours and tried to take her to the hospital but she wouldn’t. They stayed at her apartment to make sure she was okay, but they couldn’t stay there indefinitely, so they left.
“It is devastating that Caroline’s mother is now blaming them. Christine was once very close to Lou, but not anymore.
‘Caroline’s death has haunted her friends and changed their lives, and there is a view that she should be left to rest in peace. But this documentary is going to ruin everything and, whether you like it or not, you run the risk of blaming certain places.’
Caroline with her close friend Louise Teasdale (right), who left her alone in her flat on the day she took her own life.
Caroline’s other close friend, Mollie Grosberg, has openly said she will never get over her death.
Mollie, a production manager, who also stayed with Caroline that night, has openly said she will never get over her death. “She was a good friend of Caroline’s,” a friend of hers said. “She would have done anything for her.”
Curious Films, the production company that made the 2021 documentary Caroline Flack: Her Life & Death, is behind the new show. I learned that he reached out to several people who were in the star’s life, many of whom refused to be included, believing it would “bring up” elements of the past that are best left untouched.
Indeed it was a tragic end for Norfolk-born Caroline, who had struggled with mental health issues since her teenage years.
Despite this, she managed to carve out an illustrious career in showbiz that saw her win Strictly Come Dancing in 2014 and then present ITV2 reality dating show Love Island, a role she adored, before being forced to quit in 2019. after his arrest.
At the same time, Caroline was addicted to social media, and not in a good way. She was said to scrutinize fan comments and was fascinated by the press, becoming friends with several showbiz journalists to whom she often reported personal details. These links are believed to be another area of examination in the film.
Also under scrutiny is ITV, the network that screened Love Island but which sacked Caroline as soon as she was arrested and charged. Network bosses didn’t see how they could keep her as a dating show host after she allegedly assaulted her own boyfriend.
Rightly or not, Christine has criticized them in the past. At the time, the network issued a statement saying that Caroline had resigned, although well-informed people assure me that she was forced to resign, leaving her “absolutely distraught.”
It is believed that the photograph was the last one taken of Caroline on Valentine’s Day, hours before she committed suicide. Her friend Mollie posted the photo on her Instagram story.
“She was in pieces,” a friend said. “I couldn’t understand why they would get rid of her and keep Ant McPartlin, who injured a child while driving under the influence.”
Caroline’s friends are clear that there were several factors in her heartache, including men. It’s no secret that in matters of the heart he was not always successful.
There were several famous suitors, including Harry Styles and (briefly) Prince Harry. But when she met tennis player Burton, who at 27 was 13 years her junior, she fell in love with him instantly and they began dating in August 2019.
However, it was also the catalyst for the spiral of devastation in Caroline’s life. Four months later, police were called to his flat in Islington, north London, after Burton called them to say he had hit him with a lamp while he was sleeping.
At that time, he had also cut his wrists, leaving blood all over the bedroom.
People close to her say she “went furious” when the police arrived, all of which was recorded on their body cameras.
After a visit to hospital, he went to a north London police station, where he was told no charges would be brought against him. Three months later, however, the Crown Prosecution Service’s decision was overturned following an appeal by the Metropolitan Police and Caroline called a friend crying her eyes out to tell her that she would face a criminal charge after all. And it is that decision that Christine is committed to fighting until the end.
Earlier this year, Christine revealed that the Independent Office for Police Conduct had urged the Met to reopen its investigation into the case.
“We will not stop until we know the truth,” Christine said. “Something very unusual happened to Carrie at the police station that night, but no one kept a proper record explaining why. I have now filed a complaint to force the officer to give the statement we believe he should have made four years ago.
“As a family, we have been left with important unanswered questions.”
The watchdog recommended that the force’s Professional Standards Directorate interview an officer who was present at the time of Caroline’s arrest. He was said to have been involved in the move to appeal the CPS’s decision to issue him a caution.
After the incident, Burton refused to make a statement in the hope that this would lead to the police dropping the charges, but they went ahead anyway.
Caroline’s friends have told me they “dread” this documentary. It takes them back to the “hell” of the day she took her own life.
“We all have very fond memories of Caroline,” said one. “Yes, she worked hard, but she was kind, she was beautiful and we loved her very much.”