Caroline Flack’s TV career left hanging in the balance as she’s charged with assault

Caroline Flack’s charged with assault by beating following a fight at the home she shares with boyfriend Lewis Burton has raised questions about her future in TV.

The star, who was charged on Friday morning following an incident at her London abode the day before, is currently slated to launch the winter edition of ITV2’s runaway ratings hit Love Island in South Africa from the start of January.

Also on her busy hosting roster is the upcoming controversial Channel 4 show The Surjury, which will see young people pitch ideas for their ‘dream’ surgeries to convince a jury of peers and experts to approve their life-changing operations.

And while TV bosses have yet to officially announce any decisions on how they’ll handle the potential PR minefield of continuing to work with Flack, calls are already being made for her to be sacked, particularly in light of the #MeToo era.

MailOnline has contacted representatives for ITV and Channel 4 for comment.

A spokesman for Flack told PA news agency in a statement: ‘We confirm that police attended Caroline’s home following a private domestic incident.

‘She is co-operating with the appropriate people to resolve matters. We will not be making any further comment for legal reasons.’

Arrested: Flack, 40, was arrested and charged with assault by beating on Friday following a fight at the London home she shares with boyfriend Lewis Burton, 27 (pictured in November)

Six police cars were seen outside the TV presenter’s London home in the early hours of Thursday morning.

A man, believed to be Flack’s boyfriend, Lewis Burton, was treated for injuries, but his condition is not thought to be serious.

A Met Police spokesman told MailOnline: ‘Caroline Flack, 40, of Islington was charged on Friday, 13 December with assault by beating. She will appear on bail at Highbury Corner Magistrates’ Court on Monday, 23 December.

‘This follows an incident at approximately 05:25hrs on Thursday, 12 December after reports of a man being assaulted. He was not seriously injured.’

The man was treated by paramedics and a London Ambulance Service spokesman said: ‘We were called yesterday (Thursday 12 December) at 5.28am to reports of a person unwell in Islington.

‘We sent an ambulance to the scene and took a person to hospital.’

Police said he had ‘sustained injuries’. The spokesman added: ‘Officers attended along with the London Ambulance Service.

‘A man sustained injuries, which are not thought to be serious. A woman was arrested at the location on suspicion of actual bodily harm.’

Within minutes of news breaking of Flack’s arrest, the hashtag #SackTheFlack started to trend on Twitter, with social media users passionately expressing their thoughts.

One wrote twitter user: ‘CarolineFlack arrested and charged with assault. She shouldn’t have a job with #LoveIsland after this. If it was a male presenter, he’d lose every job he had lined up.’

Added another: ‘Well at least one good thing has come from today. Caroline Flack will SURELY be cancelled and we can enjoy a Flack-Free love island next year?’

‘So who’s replacing Caroline Flack on Love Island, she better not keep her job after assaulting her boyfriend,’ stated a third.

‘I want Caroline Flack to be sacked with immediate effect,’ demanded another. ‘This is unacceptable. It would be so ironic if she presents Love Island 2020 when she assaults her ” loved” one.’

Should ITV bosses go in the direction of hiring a new presenter for winter Love Island their decision will prove costly, as all of her promotional material for the dating show will need to be reshot.

And fans of the show are already throwing out suggestions for possible replacements, with Maya Jama, Gemma Collins, Emily Atack and presenting duo Anthony McPartlin and Declan Donnelly topping the list.

Rick Edwards boldly threw his name into the ring on Friday afternoon, tweeting: Well, ITV2. I’m pretty free in January, I’ll happily travel to South Africa, and I’ve never been charged with assault.’

However, his tweet was quickly deleted as he stated: ‘Fair play, that was VERY quick from my agent. You think she’d be supportive of me trying to get work! But no.’

Insiders previously confirmed to MailOnline that staff working on the show are jetting off to Cape Town, South Africa, on New Year’s Day (January 1) and have a week to prepare before the official anticipated launch on January 8.

The new cast will fly out just days before the series begins, but bosses will recruit ‘test Islanders’ in the lead up to ensure they know the best places to create maximum drama.

A TV source told MailOnline: ‘The new Winter Love Island will launch the second week of January. Bosses are still deciding on the final date but it is thought to be January 8 – a week after staff arrive in South Africa.

‘It has been decided that the show will run for six weeks instead of the usual eight. The new cast of singletons fly out just days before the launch but bosses work with test Islanders to uncover the best spots in the villa to create drama.’

It has been a challenging year for ITV bosses, after another of their high profile personalities, Anthony McPartlin, stepped away from hit multitude of hosting gigs as he sought rehab treatment following a drink-driving car crash in March 2019.

Bosses at the network stood by him as he took a year off from I’m A Celebrity… Get me Out Of Here!, Britain’s Got Talent and Saturday Night Takeaway.

Flack, who is estimated to be worth £5.6million, also delightedly announced in October that she was set to host Channel 4’s controversial new series The Surjery.

In an Instagram post, the presenter enthused she’s ‘over the moon’ to front her first show for the broadcaster, months after surgeons condemned the programme for ‘glamorising’ procedures.

Produced by Gobstopper Television, The Surjury will see young people pitch ideas for their ‘dream’ surgeries to convince a jury of peers and experts to approve their life-changing operations.

The new show will see participants go under the knife if they are given the thumbs-up by a 12-strong jury.

Contestants will have to secure 75 per cent of the jury vote to get their procedure, and then will be invited back to ‘show off the results’ after a few months.

The new show wrapped up filming in Manchester in October, and was originally scheduled to air on Channel 4 in early 2020.

Gobstopper Television is also filming a US version of the format, according to Deadline.

Earlier this year, medical professionals warned of the potential harm of the programme, saying it glamorises and trivialises life-changing procedures, and could lead to a rise in botched surgeries.

Channel 4 director Ian Katz said the aim of the broadcaster was to ‘make entertaining, mischievous and innovative shows about the big issues and arguments in Britain today’.

Caroline and her tennis player and model boyfriend Lewis have been in a relationship since July.

Their relationship seemed to be on the rocks when they in a furious argument during their Spanish holiday in October.

Caroline was pictured engaging in a tense discussion with Lewis as they sat on board a luxury vessel while out at sea with a group of their friends in Ibiza.

In August, a source told The Sun the couple that Caroline and Lewis had ‘really hit it off’ after being ‘introduced through mutual friends.’

Lewis is currently signed to Select Model Management following his stint as a professional tennis player.

The hunk began playing the sport at the tender age of seven, and reached a career high when he played the final of the boys’ doubles with George Morgan at Wimbledon in 2010.

Lewis played his last game in professional tennis with Marcus Willis at the Great Britain F2 in Sunderland back in January 2015.

Earlier this year, Caroline embarked on a short-lived romance with rugby player Danny Cipriani, 31, before their relationship fizzled out in May. She was previously engaged to Apprentice star Andrew Brady for just under a year back in 2018.

She previously romanced stars such as former X Factor co-star Olly Murs, 35, musician Harry Styles, 25, and music manager Jack Street, 31.

Last month, Caroline was forced to shut down rumours that she and Lewis were engaged to one another, with her rep saying it’s ‘100% not true.’

While celebrating her 40th birthday that month, she addressed the milestone birthday in an Instagram Story, admitting she was ‘utterly grateful’ for everything. 

She wrote: ‘Jesus… Last day of my 30s …. and what a ride it’s been so far,’ she wrote. ‘Feeling so utterly grateful for EVERYTHING in my life right now.’

The news comes just weeks after Caroline’s ex Andrew Brady branded their relationship toxic.

He went on Instagram to reveal he had covered a tattoo of her initials which he had on his wrist to mark a year since the pair’s relationship ended.

The former Apprentice star, 29, took to Instagram as he visited Bondi Ink to have the ‘CF’ covered with the shape of Australia.

Andrew was engaged to Caroline, 40, last year but since they split – which he said ‘probably saved his life’ – he has relocated to Sydney.

In a series of stories Andrew smiled as he prepared to go under the needle and wrote a message to explain why he decided to get some new ink.

He wrote: ‘It’s exactly a year tomorrow since I left a very toxic relationship and got away.

‘Leaving probably saved my life. I mark it one year on by doing something I should have done a while ago’

After having his new tattoo Andrew shared another video where he thanks Bondi Ink for ‘covering up this absolute monstrosity.’

He continued: ‘So moral of the story is don’t get your partner’s initials tattooed on you because when it all goes t**s up you’re gonna have to get it covered up.’