Joe Swash dropped 'Dancing On Ice' partner after hearing of Caroline Flack's death

Joe Swash has said his day became a “total blur” after he heard about the death of Caroline Flack, and that he almost broke his Dancing On Ice partner’s back by accident during training.

The actor, 38, became close friends with the late Love Island presenter after working with her on the I’m A Celebrity spin-off show Extra Camp.

Swash went ahead with Dancing On Ice rehearsals after hearing that Flack had taken her own life last month, but told The Sun Online he was so distracted that he dropped his professional skating partner Alex Murphy.

Read more: Caroline Flack remembered at the Brit Awards

"It was a really messed up day and my mind wasn't on it,” Swash said.

"I dropped Alex really badly on her face and I nearly broke her back,” he added, explaining that the day was “a total blur”.

The grieving star took to the ice on the ITV show the day after Flack’s death, and was visibly emotional.

He told The Sun he couldn’t work out if it was right to go ahead with his performance.

“I thought maybe I should have stepped down, but I'm glad I went ahead,” he said.

Flack died by suicide on February 15.

The presenter, who was 40, died while awaiting trial on charges of assaulting her boyfriend Lewis Burton.

Earlier this week it was reported that the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) is to examine its decision to prosecute the star for assault, following accusations of a “show trial”.

The presenter had been bailed after an initial court hearing and would have been due to appear for the start of her trial on March 4.

She learned of the CPS’s decision to pursue the charges the day before her death.

After her death, Flack’s management team criticised the CPS for conducting a “show trial”, and Burton has said he did not support a prosecution.

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In response to a freedom of information request by the Daily Mirror, the CPS announced there would “be a post-case review panel conducted by a deputy chief crown prosecutor”.

A spokesperson added: “The review will look at the general CPS handling of the case and, obviously, the decisions behind charging is part of that.”