Caroline Flack death: Love Island to return with ‘tribute’ to former host

Reality TV show Love Island will return on Monday night after being taken off-air for two days following the death of its former presenter Caroline Flack.

The ITV2 dating show will feature a tribute to the late presenter, who was found dead on Saturday after taking her own life.

The show was pulled for a second consecutive night on Sunday, as Phillip Schofield paid an emotional tribute to Flack on another ITV show Dancing On Ice.

Schofield said: “We’d like to begin tonight’s show by taking a moment to remember Caroline Flack in light of yesterday’s awful news.

“We wanted to say that our hearts go out to her family and friends.”

His co-host Holly Willoughby added: “Many of us here on the show knew Caroline as a friend and we will all miss her enormously.

“As Caroline herself recently posted, in a world where you can be anything, be kind.”

An ITV spokesman said: “Many people at ITV knew Caroline well and held her in great affection. All of us are absolutely devastated at this tragic news.

“After careful consultation between Caroline’s representatives and the Love Island production team and given how close we still are to the news of Caroline’s tragic death we have decided not to broadcast tonight’s Love Island out of respect for Caroline’s family.

“Love Island will return tomorrow night which will include a tribute to Caroline who will be forever in our hearts.”

ITV also did not show Saturday’s highlights edition of the dating show, which was due to air hours after Flack was found dead in her east London flat.

Her family’s lawyer confirmed Flack took her own life.

It is understood the day before her death, an ambulance was called to her flat, but after an assessment nobody was taken to hospital.

Flack, 40, had been due to stand trial in March for allegedly assaulting her boyfriend, Lewis Burton, last year.

She had pleaded not guilty to the charge and was released on bail, with conditions that stopped her having any contact with the 27-year-old model and ex-professional tennis player.

Burton’s lawyers said in court he was a witness, not a victim.

He posted a statement on Instagram on Sunday with a picture of the couple on holiday.

“My heart is broken we had something so special,” he said.

Flack’s management criticised the Crown Prosecution Service for pressing ahead with the charges in what they called her “show trial”.

The presenter, who was also an X Factor host and won Strictly Come Dancing, took over as the host of Love Island in 2015.

She became synonymous with the programme that has now become one of the most-watched reality shows in the UK.

After she was charged for assaulting her boyfriend, Flack stepped down from the show and was replaced by her friend, Laura Whitmore.

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(c) Sky News 2020: Caroline Flack death: Love Island to return with ‘tribute’ to former host