Warning: This article contains discussion of suicide which some readers may find distressing.
Caroline Flack's ex-boyfriend has spoken out about the new documentary which explores the late TV presenter's final months before she took her own life.
Flack was known for hosting Love Island among a host of other shows, and the new release, titled Caroline Flack: Search for the Truth, explores 'what really happened' to the 40-year-old before her death.
The Disney+ documentary follows her mum, Christine, as she takes a deep-dive into the 'hidden pressures' her daughter was facing, including some previously never-seen-before messages from Caroline to loved ones.
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It's said that the TV personality suffered a hit to her mental health while facing trial for allegedly assaulting her then-boyfriend, Lewis Burton, back in 2019.
The documentary looked at what surrounded the charge, as it was first recommended by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) that Caroline receive a caution, before the Met Police appealed and she was charged with assault by beating.
Burton, who did not feature in the documentary, was said to have turned several chances to appear according to series producer Sophie Clayton-Payne, who said she 'contacted as many people as possible'.
“We contacted Lewis right from the beginning and we said 'We'd love to talk to you off-record just for research purposes (to) understand your perspective on everything',” Clayton-Payne said.
“We also invited him to take part in the series, on camera. He declined to take part.”
Burton has since taken to Instagram to address the documentary directly, writing on his Story: “Out of respect, I’ve chosen to remain silent. However, the false accusations and online abuse directed toward me and my family has gone too far.
“I had hoped it would never come to this, but now I have no choice but to clarify the situation and share the truth.”
Caroline was just 40 when she took her own life, as her solicitor Paul Morris said in the documentary: “It rapidly became apparent to me that Caroline Flack was being prosecuted not for what happened or what she’d done or not done, she was being prosecuted because she’s Caroline Flack.”
It's said that she was advised to keep quiet about the allegations, though criticism from the media and those online didn't stop, as she was forced to live in a hotel as constant paparazzi surrounded her flat.
She would 'step down' from her role as Love Island host as a result of the backlash.
In the doc, Caroline could be heard saying in a recorded message on her phone that she had been cooperating with police since they got involved and that she was even promised anonymity, saying minutes after leaving the station: “It got into the press – all the details, everything. Since then, I lost my job, a job I’ve worked all my life for, I’m living in a hotel, I’m receiving so much abuse.
“It was a fight, I’ve never hurt anyone in my life, the only person I ever hurt is myself.”
Some of Burton's comments from the night of the altercation in December could be heard in the documentary, as he told police he may have been hit by a lamp or fan but he wasn't sure as he'd been asleep.
He would later agree with Caroline that it was his phone that was used, as her mum highlighted that it was a 'myth' that a lamp was ever involved.
Caroline Flack: Search for the Truth is now streaming on Disney+.
If you’ve been affected by any of these issues and want to speak to someone in confidence, please don’t suffer alone. Call Samaritans for free on their anonymous 24-hour phone line on 116 123 or contact Harmless by visiting their website https://harmless.org.uk.
If you're experiencing distressing thoughts and feelings, the Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM) is there to support you. They're open from 5pm–midnight, 365 days a year. Their national number is 0800 58 58 58 and they also have a webchat service if you're not comfortable talking on the phone.
Topics: Mental Health, Celebrity, TV, Documentaries
Joshua Nair