Laura Whitmore says Caroline Flack left Love Island so she could ‘work through things’

Laura Whitmore has said Caroline Flack thought quitting Love Island would be a “good” move that would allow her to "work through" things.

The presenter, who replaced Flack as the host of Love Island last year, told Frankie Bridge's Open Mind podcast: "I've never told anyone this, but one of the last things she told me is that this is probably good that it's happened this way, as I have a lot of things I need to deal with and work through."

Flack quit Love Island in December 2019 after she was charged with assault by beating, following an incident at her London home involving her boyfriend Lewis Burton. She died by suicide in February, weeks before her assault trial was due to begin.

Whitmore added: "I remember thinking she'll come back with a bang, maybe I was being naive but I didn't think it would go the other way.

"My brain still hasn't computed it.”

Nick Grimshaw recently condemned the press intrusion into Flack’s personal life, telling The Guardian: “With Caroline, no one was reporting on facts. There’s this constant need to dig things out about people. It felt really unnecessary. It felt relentless.”

If you are experiencing feelings of distress and isolation, or are struggling to cope, The Samaritans offers support; you can speak to someone for free over the phone, in confidence, on 116 123 (UK and ROI), email jo@samaritans.org, or visit the Samaritans website to find details of your nearest branch.

For services local to you, the national mental health database – Hub of Hope – allows you to enter your postcode to search for organisations and charities who offer mental health advice and support in your area.

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