Caroline Flack has died at the age of 40 years old.
The Love Island presenter was found dead on Saturday afternoon at her London home.
A lawyer for her family said the star had taken her own life.
Her family said in a statement: “We can confirm that our Caroline passed away today on the 15th February.
“We would ask that the press both respect the privacy of the family at this difficult time.”
Confirming Saturday night’s Love Island episode will not be broadcast, an ITV spokeswoman said: “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.”
The presenter recently stepped down from hosting the first ever winter series of Love Island after she was charged with assault following a row with boyfriend Lewis Burton.
She was on bail and awaiting trial due begin on 4 March after pleading not guilty to charges of assault by beating.
Ahead of her first court hearing she told fans she was going through the “worst time of her life”.
She wrote on Instagram at the time: “This is the worst time of my life. I don’t know where to go to. Where to look. Who to trust. Or I even am.”
The former X Factor host previously said of the incident: “While matters were not as have been reported, I am committed to cooperating with the appropriate authorities and I can’t comment further on these matters until the legal process is over.”
In the last few weeks, Caroline had been keeping a low profile, revealing she’d been “advised not to go on social media”, and recently returned to the UK after spending some time out in the States.
However, she did post a few times on Instagram, to wish Laura Whitmore luck as the new host of Love Island, and ahead of the National Television Awards, where the ITV2 dating show had been nominated in the Best Challenge Show category.
She last posted on Instagram on Friday with a collage of snaps with her dog, captioned simply with a love heart emoji.
In October last year, Caroline opened up about her mental health struggles in an Instagram post to her followers.
The TV star said “being a burden” was her “biggest fear” as she told her 2.3 million followers that she had recently been experiencing “anxiety and (the) pressure of life”.
Caroline said in the post that she had meant to write something on World Mental Health Day on October 10 but that she had been “knee deep in work”.
She said: “I wanted to write something about mental health day last week but I was knee deep in work. And some days it’s hard to write your feelings of your not in the right place.
“The last few weeks I’ve been in a really weird place … I find it hard to talk about it … I guess it’s anxiety and pressure of life … and when I actually reached out to someone they said I was draining.
“I feel like this is why some people keep their emotions to themselves. I certainly hate talking about my feelings. And being a burden is my biggest fear…
“I’m lucky to be able to pick myself up when things feel shit.
“But what happens if someone can’t. Be nice to people. You never know what’s going on. Ever.”
Caroline had previously urged her fans to be more vocal about their mental health struggles.
In 2018, she detailed her experiences with depression, which she says started after her Strictly Come Dancing victory in 2014 and lasted a year.
The presenter described her year-long struggle with her mental health, revealing that things came to a head during her difficult stint hosting The X Factor, alongside co-presenter Olly Murs.
She told The Sun: “It all started the day after I won Strictly. I woke up and felt like somebody had covered my body in cling-film.
“I couldn’t get up and just couldn’t pick myself up at all that next year. I felt ridiculous, being so sad when I’d just won the biggest show on telly and had such an amazing job.”
She continued: “People see the celebrity lifestyle and assume everything is perfect, but we’re just like everyone else. Everyone is battling something emotional behind closed doors — that’s life. Fame doesn’t make you happy.”
Useful websites and helplines:
- Mind, open Monday to Friday, 9am-6pm on 0300 123 3393
- Samaritans offers a listening service which is open 24 hours a day, on 116 123 (UK and ROI - this number is FREE to call and will not appear on your phone bill.)
- The Mix is a free support service for people under 25. Call 0808 808 4994 or email: help@themix.org.uk
- Rethink Mental Illness offers practical help through its advice line which can be reached on 0300 5000 927 (open Monday to Friday 10am-4pm). More info can be found on www.rethink.org.
