Five years after TV presenter Caroline Flack took her own life, her mother Christine has spoken out in a new documentary, seeking answers and challenging the narrative surrounding her daughter's death. Christine Flack, who collaborated with Disney on the film 'Caroline Flack: Search for the Truth', says she felt compelled to understand the events leading up to Caroline's suicide in February 2020.
Caroline Flack, best known for hosting Love Island, was arrested in December 2019 and charged with assaulting her partner Lewis Burton. She lost her job, her home, and felt abandoned by the public as tabloids and social media spread what her mother describes as incorrect details. Christine Flack believes the decision to prosecute was influenced by the fear of scrutiny, suggesting her daughter received 'special treatment' in being charged.
In the documentary, Christine Flack explores whether the police and Crown Prosecution Service acted correctly. She says she has no doubt that the prosecution was a factor in Caroline's suicide. 'A different person could perhaps have come out the other side and it would be OK,' she says. 'Not Caroline.'
Christine Flack describes her daughter as having 'highs and lows' from childhood, with periods of intense emotion. Caroline kept her mental health struggles hidden, fearing leaks to the press, and never received a formal diagnosis of bipolar disorder despite suggestions from a doctor. Her mother says Caroline's work was her main coping mechanism, and she was 'really ashamed' of her condition.
The documentary aims to set the record straight and challenge assumptions about Caroline's death. Christine Flack acknowledges the risks of revisiting the story but says she had to seek the truth. 'Nothing worse can happen than Caroline dying,' she adds.
