Caroline Flack sent worrying messages to pals and said she ‘felt sad’ on night before her death says Nicola McLean
CAROLINE Flack told her pal Nicola McLean she felt “sad” just hours before she took her own life.
The model called Caroline after becoming concerned for her welfare on Friday night.
Nicola, 38, said how Caroline posted and sent a series of worrying messages to her “close friends” group on Instagram before she phoned her.
Nicola said: “Caroline had made her Instagram to just her close friends and she posted something where I could tell she wasn’t in a great way.
“She’d been doing a lot better so I’d felt like she’d done really, really well.
“She’d gone to Los Angeles she’d done really well, seemingly a lot more positive.
“And that post I knew…so I messaged her as anyone else would do and she was sad.
“She was really sad and she told me she was sad. She was just sad.”
Nicola became a close friend of Caroline’s after they were introduced by mutual pals.
The pair went on to work together on I’m A Celebrity in 2008, when Nicola took part in the show and Caroline was a guest on the ITV2 spin off, a year before she took over as the host.
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EVERY 90 minutes in the UK a life is lost to suicide.
It doesn’t discriminate, touching the lives of people in every corner of society – from the homeless and unemployed to builders and doctors, reality stars and footballers.
It’s the biggest killer of people under the age of 35, more deadly than cancer and car crashes.
And men are three times more likely to take their own life than women.
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The aim is that by sharing practical advice, raising awareness and breaking down the barriers people face when talking about their mental health, we can all do our bit to help save lives.
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If you, or anyone you know, needs help dealing with mental health problems, the following organisations provide support:
- CALM, www.thecalmzone.net, 0800 585 858
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- Papyrus, www.papyrus-uk.org, 0800 068 41 41
- Samaritans, www.samaritans.org, 116 123
Caroline’s management has blasted the CPS for pursuing her to a looming trial for alleged assault while knowing she was suffering mental trauma.
While Nicola took aim at ITV over their suspension of Caroline, following her assault charge.
Speaking to The Sun’s Executive Editor Dan Wootton on his talkRadio Drive Time show, Nicola said:
“When she told me she was going to step down from love Island I said to her, ‘Categorically do not do that, you’ve told me you’ve done nothing wrong, I believe you, you will be cleared. Fight this’. And she had no choice.
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“It was outrageous to force her hand. She should’ve been presenting that show.
“Suspend her for what? She was not found guilty. She will never ever be found guilty.
“I can’t believe the way she’s been hung out to dry.”
Caroline was found dead after taking her own life at her flat in Stoke Newington, North East London, on Saturday.
An ambulance had been called to her home at 10.30pm the previous night following a concern for welfare report but crews assessed she did not need hospital treatment.
Friend Lou Teasdale, 36, had stayed with her overnight before leaving to go to the shops at around 9.30am. Caroline’s body was found a short time later.
Pals say the 40-year-old had been tormented as she faced an assault trial after allegedly attacking boyfriend Lewis Burton, 27, at her then home in December last year.
The Love Island star had learned the Crown Prosecution Service was set to press ahead with her trial the day before her death.
Caroline strongly denied the charge and her management team has slammed the CPS for pursuing the case despite Lewis saying he didn’t support the prosecution.
She and Lewis had pleaded with authorities for it to be dropped given her vulnerable mental state.
A court heard last year that Caroline was accused of hitting Lewis, 27, around the head with a lamp before flipping over a table after officers arrived.
Magistrates were also told how police bodycam footage had captured Caroline in the moments after the incident.
A friend said: “Caroline was terrified the footage of her distressed and covered in blood would be shown to the world in court.”
Dr Charlotte Proudman, a human rights barrister who specialises in cases involving violence against women and girls, said the CPS had been wrongly trying to make an example of the star.
She said: “This smacks of a show trial.
“It feels like it was nothing more than an attempt by the CPS to show how rigorously it pursues domestic abuse cases, especially one involving a male complainant.
“I’m baffled as to why the CPS were so determined to continue with this case.
“There were clear mental health issues at the heart of this case and her vulnerability, both at the time of the incident and afterwards were well known.”
Caroline was due to stand trial at Highbury magistrates court on March 4 charged with common assault after the December 12 incident in Islington, North London.
At a previous hearing, the court heard that while under caution Caroline told police she would kill herself and that she said: “I did it.”
Magistrates heard how Lewis had dialled 999 and told the operator: “She’s trying to kill me, mate.”
Lewis later stood by Caroline, despite being banned from contacting her.
If you are affected by any of the issues raised in this article, please call the Samaritans for free on 116123