Caroline Flack, who became tabloid fodder by dating Harry Styles when she was 31 and he was 17, and as the host of the British series “Love Island” on ITV, has died.
The New York Times reports Flack, 40, took her own life. She was found at her London home on Saturday.
In December, Flack left “Love Island” after being charged with assault in an incident involving her tennis-player boyfriend Lewis Burton. She was replaced as host by Laura Whitmore, who tweeted of Flack’s death, “I’m trying to find the words but I can’t” with a broken-heart emoji.
ITV tweeted of her passing, “Everybody at ‘Love Island’ and ITV is shocked and saddened by this desperately sad news. Caroline was a much loved member of the ‘Love Island’ team and our sincere thoughts and condolences are with her family and friends.”
Flack was born November 9, 1979, in London, making her acting debut in 2001. Almost immediately, she shifted focus to hosting and reality TV, including winning the 2014 edition of “Strictly Come Dancing.” She appeared on “I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! NOW” (2009-2010), “The Xtra Factor” (2011-2013), and began work on “Love Island,” on which viewers vote couples off an ideal island setting each week, in 2015.
Flack’s death is sure to reignite controversy regarding “Love Island” — two contestants, Sophie Gradon and Mike Thalassitis, have taken their own lives in the past.
Flack’s memoir, “Storm in a C Cup,” was published in 2015. In it, she detailed her love affairs, including briefly acknowledging her 2009 fling with Prince Harry. She wrote, “To meet a prince is so unlikely, it would be weird not to acknowledge it. However, once the story got out, that was it. We had to stop seeing each other. I was no longer Caroline Flack, TV presenter, I was Caroline Flack, Prince Harry’s bit of rough.”
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Burton posted this love note a day before Flack died.
She said of her controversial relationship with Harry Styles that their 14-year age gap was “strange,” but, “I’m not going to ever apologize for it because there was nothing at the time that was serious or bad and nobody was getting hurt.”
With the presenter’s assault trial scheduled to begin March 4, Burton had insisted he was not a victim, instead calling himself a “witness.” Defying a court order not to contact Flack, Burton had posted an affectionate Valentine’s Day message on his Instagram Stories directed at Flack, declaring on a sweet shot of them hanging out together in happier times, “Love you.”
It is unknown if she ever had a chance to see the note.
Just three days ago, Flack was seen getting some exercise climbing while awaiting her trial.