The brother of TV presenter Caroline Flack took his own life while under the influence of alcohol, an inquest has heard. Paul Flack, 55, had experienced low mood in recent years after various life events, including the death of his father, Norfolk area coroner Johanna Thompson said.
Death on Father's Day
Mr Flack was found unresponsive in the garden of his home in Norwich on Father's Day this year. He was taken to hospital by ambulance but was pronounced dead the same evening, on June 21, the hearing in Norwich was told on Thursday.
In a statement read by the coroner's officer, Mr Flack's partner Joanna Millington said they had been in a relationship for 32 years and had two children aged 23 and 20. She said Mr Flack had been a self-employed graphic designer but noted the industry had declined and "I believe this may have contributed to his sadness as this was all he had done".
Sister's death in 2020
Ms Millington said Mr Flack's sister took her own life and "I don't think Paul really recovered from this". Former Love Island and X Factor host Caroline Flack, 40, was found unresponsive at her home in Stoke Newington, north-east London, on February 15, 2020. A coroner concluded at an inquest in 2020 she died by suicide, and that she took her own life after discovering she was definitely going to be prosecuted for assaulting her boyfriend and feared press intrusion.
In her statement to the Norwich inquest, Ms Millington said Mr Flack's father Ian died in November 2025 aged 77 after a dementia diagnosis in his early 70s. She said she had "tried to encourage Paul to seek counselling".
Events leading to his death
Ms Millington said in the week leading up to his death, he "did drink more than usual, however this was a lovely week we had spent together". She said on the day of his death, they spent time together and in the evening she had watched a film indoors with one of her children while Mr Flack stayed in the garden and drank beer. She said Mr Flack was "incredibly loved and I'm going to miss him".
In a statement, neighbour Olive Merrill said she remembered hearing Mr Flack, his daughter and one of their children in the garden on the afternoon of June 21. She said at around 10.30pm she heard a "shrieking" and "thought it sounded like Jo". She said: "I called out 'do you need help'. I heard a female voice saying 'it's Paul, I don't know what to do'." Ms Merrill said she dialled 999.
Medical evidence and conclusion
The coroner said police and paramedics attended and Mr Flack was found unresponsive. She said the ambulance service recorded that he was taken to hospital at 11.28pm and handed over to accident and emergency staff, but he was pronounced dead shortly afterwards. Dr Tarek Ahmed, a consultant in emergency medicine, said in a statement that Mr Flack's bloods were taken and it was recorded that he had 296 milligrammes of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood. This is around four times the drink-drive limit of 80 milligrammes of alcohol in England.
No family members were present at Thursday's inquest hearing. The coroner said Mr Flack's family were "aware of the evidence that's being read and are content for this to be read in their absence". She gave Mr Flack's medical cause of death as out of hospital cardiac arrest, with hanging as a contributary cause.
The coroner said: "The court heard there was no significant medical history recorded for Paul. It was noted he had low mood in recent years after various life events." In a narrative conclusion, she said Mr Flack took his own life "while under the influence of alcohol – his intention in doing so is unknown".
