Love Island’s spin-off show Unseen Bits has been pulled from ITV2 on Saturday night after Caroline Flack was found dead at her London flat aged 40 on Saturday.
The ITV2 show replaced the 9pm programme with an old episode of You’ve Been Framed. It has not been confirmed whether the show will air as normal on Sunday.
Ahead of Unseen Bits airing, a voice over said: ‘In light of today’s sad news, we are replacing tonight’s episode of Unseen Bits with a double bill of You’ve Been Framed.’
Pulled: Love Island ‘s spin-off show Unseen Bits has been pulled from ITV2 on Saturday night after Caroline Flack was found dead at her London flat aged 40 on Saturday
It comes after Love Island issued a statement over Caroline’s death: ‘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.’
MailOnline has contacted ITV2 for comment over whether Love Island will go ahead on Sunday night.
A lawyer for Caroline’s family confirmed the TV star had died and released a statement on Saturday: ‘We can confirm that our Caroline passed away today, the 15th of February.
Replaced: The ITV2 show replaced the 9pm programme with an old episode of You’ve Been Framed. It has not been confirmed whether the show will air as normal on Sunday
‘We would ask that the press respect the privacy of the family at this difficult time and we would ask they make no attempt to contact us and/or photograph us.’
Caroline took her own life after a worried friend who was staying with her went to the shops, leaving the ex-Love Island presenter alone at her London flat.
According to The Mail On Sunday, it came just hours after she was told she would face trial for allegedly assaulting her boyfriend Lewis Burton.
Her management have slammed the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) for pursuing the ‘show trial’ after Lewis said he did not want to press charges.
Tragic: Caroline took her own life after a worried friend who was staying with her went to the shops, leaving the ex-Love Island presenter alone at her London flat
CAROLINE FLACK: A CALL FOR HELP?
Caroline Flack spoke often about her struggles, both in interviews and on social media.
Caroline said, following her Strictly success: ‘Fame doesn’t make you happy’
STRICTLY CURSE?
The Strictly Come Dancing 2014 winner has said that she felt depressed following her victory on the BBC show.
After she won the series along with professional partner Pasha Kovalev, she admitted that she felt like she was ‘being held together by a piece of string which could snap at any time’.
In an unearthed interview cited by the Daily Star following her death, Caroline claimed that, ‘It all started the day after I won Strictly. I woke up and felt like somebody had covered my body in clingfilm. I couldn’t get up and just couldn’t pick myself up at all that next year.’
She went on: ‘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.
Ignored? ‘When I actually reached out to someone they said I was draining,’ Caroline admitted in October 2019
‘Fame doesn’t make you happy.’
‘BEING A BURDEN IS MY BIGGEST FEAR’
In an Instagram post she uploaded on 14 October 2019 – to mark World Mental Health Day – Caroline captioned a photo of herself: ‘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 s**t. But what happens if someone can’t. Be nice to people. You never know what’s going on. Ever.’ [sic]
SOCIAL SILENCE
Signs of suicide? She liked tweets about calling The Samaritans over Christmas
Caroline was told to stay off social media following her assault charge in December 2019.
However, she notably liked a string of tweets in the days afterwards, before Christmas, encouraging those feeling lonely over the holidays to seek help.
The tweets – posted by the likes of actress Sheridan Smith, journalist Stacey Dooley and comedian Luke Kempner – included the telephone number for The Samaritans’ suicide hotline.
She also posted to Instagram around the same time: ‘This kind of scrutiny and speculation is a lot to take on for one person to take on their own… I’m a human being at the end of the day and I’m not going to be silenced when I have a story to tell and a life to keep going with…
‘I’m taking some time out to get feeling better and learn some lessons from situations I’ve got myself into to. I have nothing but love to give and best wishes for everyone.’
SELF-HELP?
It was reported that Caroline had decided to write a book, during her recent time off.
‘Caroline has found the process incredibly cathartic,’ one of her friends told the Mail. ‘She wants it to be more than just a story about her. She wants to talk about the problems she’s encountered and how she’s overcome them.
‘She hopes to be able to help others who may be going through similar difficulties. Part self-help, part memoir is the style that Caroline is looking for.’
He had said she hit him with a lamp at her former home in Islington in December before asking the CPS not to press charges.
Caroline had been described by friends as feeling ‘she was on her own’ and ‘couldn’t see a way out,’ according to The Mirror.
It was also understood she had been struggling with her mental health and using anti-depressants before her death.
Meanwhile, fans have been speculating whether Love Island will go ahead on Sunday night after the devastating news.
One person said: ‘I think out of respect, they should at least postpone or cancel the current series.’
Speculation: Meanwhile, fans have been speculating whether Love Island will go ahead on Sunday night after the devastating news
A different user put: ‘You still going to continue the show?!’
While another show watcher commented: ‘Tomorrow should be cancelled out of respect to Caroline.’
Caroline was best known for previously fronting the hugely popular ITV2 show Love Island, which has tonight been rocked by the third death of one of its former stars.
Contestants Mike Thalassitis and Sophie Gradon took their own lives following their appearances on the dating programme, throwing the show’s future into question.
Caroline’s death comes just weeks before she was due to go on trial for assaulting partner Lewis Burton, who in December accused her of hitting him with a lamp before backtracking on these claims.
Final snap: Caroline shared a final sweet photo with her dog Ruby just two days before she was found dead at her London flat at the age of 40
Yesterday, the model and tennis player posted a picture of him and Flack on Instagram and wrote: ‘Happy Valentine’s… Love You.’
His heartfelt snap followed an announcement by Caroline that she was about to break her silence about her troubled personal life.
In January she wrote: ‘I’m going to speak today… mine and my family’s life is no longer up for entertainment or gossip,’
But a source said she wrote the post ‘without thinking’ and changed her mind, vowing to keep quiet until the time was right.
The saga surrounding Caroline’s court case saw her step down from hosting Love Island – the winter series is currently on air and is being hosted by Laura Whitmore.
Yet it was understood that she would return to the ITV2 show in the summer if cleared in court for the assault allegations.
If you have been affected by this story, you can call the Samaritans on 116 123 or visit www.samaritans.org.
Court: Caroline’s death comes just weeks before she was due to go on trial for assaulting partner Lewis Burton, who in December accused her of hitting him with a lamp before backtracking on these claims (pictured together in October 2019)