Love Island star Sophie Gradon’s family grieve in private

The inquest into the death of former Love Island star Sophie Gradon will be opened

An inquest was opened today into the death of Love Island star Sophie Gradon.

The 32-year-old former Miss Great Britain was said to have been found dead by her boyfriend Aaron Armstrong at her parents’ £1million home in the Northumberland village of Medburn.

At a short hearing in North Shields, North Tyneside, the assistant coroner for South Northumberland, Trevor Carroll, began the investigation into the circumstances behind her death.

He said: ‘It falls upon me to open an inquest into the death of Sophie Hannah Gradon who died on June 20, 2018.

‘Pending initial enquiries it is appropriate to open the inquest into her death and adjourn it at this stage pending further enquiries in order to determine the cause of her death.’

The family and friends of Gradon, who appeared in the 2016 series of the ITV2 dating show, did not attend the minute-long hearing at the coroner’s office.

Gradon is pictured in Mallorca in 2016, the year she appeared on the ITV2 dating programme

Gradon is pictured in Mallorca in 2016, the year she appeared on the ITV2 dating programme

Her parents, Colin and Deborah Gradon, said yesterday: ‘It has been one week since we lost our precious daughter and we as a family are still coming to terms with our sudden loss. Our hearts are broken.

‘We wish to say our goodbyes to Sophie in private so we ask that you respect our family’s privacy during this arduous time.’

Gradon’s body was discovered in an upstairs room at the large £990,000 property in a quiet cul-de-sac on the evening of last Wednesday.

It has been reported that she was house sitting while her parents were away and that Mr Armstrong, an amateur boxer, found her.

The 25-year-old boyfriend later wrote a tribute to the ‘girl of his dreams’ on Instagram, saying: ‘To think I will never see your beautiful smile again haunts me.’

He added: ‘You are the girl of my dreams we spoke of having kids and spending the rest of our lives together.

‘I’m so devastated that we will never get that chance to grow old together and raise a family.

‘I love you will all my heart Sophie. You will always be in my heart. You are my angel and I know that you will be by my side every day.’

One friend told how Gradon hoped to put her party girl image to one side, saying: ‘Sophie had wanted to settle down and was growing sick of the party lifestyle.’

Gradon (above, in 2016) was said to have had 'such a beautiful soul... such a beautiful smile'

Gradon (above, in 2016) was said to have had ‘such a beautiful soul… such a beautiful smile’

Another friend said Gradon had suffered from anxiety centred around financial matters.

The friend said: ‘She had suffered from depression and anxiety and there was talk of financial issues which obviously adds to the worry she was enduring.

‘Her friends thought she was in a great place as she was madly in love with her boyfriend and life was good.

‘However a good friend died and it affected her very badly. She struggled to cope with it and fell into a dark place.’

A full inquest will be held at a date to be fixed, which is expected to be later this year when the full circumstances behind Gradon’s death will be examined.

Previously, a spokesman for Northumbria Police said there were ‘not believed to be any suspicious circumstances surrounding her death’.

Gradon was named Miss Great Britain in 2009 and had been crowned Miss Newcastle the previous year.

Tributes poured in from her former Love Island co-stars, with one half of that year’s winning couple, Cara de la Hoyde, writing on Twitter that her ‘heart was broken’.

Love Island host Caroline Flack tweeted that Gradon was ‘such a beautiful soul… such a beautiful smile… thoughts and love with friends and family Sophie Gradon.’

An ITV spokesman said: ‘The whole ITV2 and Love Island team are profoundly saddened to hear the news about Sophie, and our deepest sympathies and thoughts go to her family and friends.’

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