Six years after Caroline Flack’s death, there was more heartache for her parents and siblings yesterday after the TV star’s elder brother Paul died just days after his 55th birthday.
The married father-of-two was found unresponsive at his home in Norwich on June 21 and despite attempts to save his life, later died in hospital. Paul, who worked as a graphic designer and artist, is survived by his partner and their children.
Norfolk Police said in a statement: “Officers were called by ambulance after concerns for the safety of a man in his 50s. He was taken by ambulance to Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital but was sadly pronounced dead at 10.44pm. The death is being treated as unexplained at this time but police do not currently believe there are any suspicious circumstances.”
A provisional post mortem found his cause of death to be cardiac arrest due to hanging. The inquest was opened yesterday at Norfolk Coroner’s Court and will be held on October 23.
Caroline Flack’s brother Paul’s sad confession in final TV appearance before death
Caroline Flack’s brother died earlier this month(Image: paulyflack/Instagram)
The tragedy comes six years after Love Island host Caroline took her own life in February 2020, at the age of 40. She had presented many of the UK’s biggest reality shows and their spinoffs, from The X Factor to I’m a Celebrity, Get Me Out Of Here Now, and also won the BBC show Strictly Come Dancing in 2014.
She and Paul, who were both born in London but grew up in Norfolk, shared a close bond and his last Instagram post, written shortly after her death, contained a tribute to her. Beside a childhood photo of Caroline he declared: “This will be my last post here. May those who know feel shame for eternity. Love you Caroline x.”
The pair had two other siblings – Caroline’s twin sister Jody (Jo) and elder sister Elizabeth (Lizzie).
Yesterday friends and followers paid their respects below the online post from 2020. One wrote: “I have no words… rest in peace Paul and give your sister a massive hug.” “RIP Paul, may you spend eternity with Caroline and I send enormous strength to your mum and family x,” another said, while one poster added: “This is just too sad. Both together now.”
Many also expressed sympathy for their parents Ian and Christine, with one saying: “I really feel for their mother as to lose one child to suicide is heart breaking but to lose two is unthinkable.”
Caroline died by suicide in 2020(Image: PA)
Paul paid tribute to her with his final Instagram post(Image: PA)
Last year, Paul appeared briefly alongside his mum in the emotional Disney+ documentary in which she sought to understand the events that led to the final months of her daughter’s life.
Speaking to her other children about her investigation for the programme, Christine explained: “I just hope I can achieve something, and as long as you all don’t mind me doing it, I’ll go ahead. I think Caroline would be pleased with what I’m doing. I wish I’d done it then, before she took her own life, and that’s my biggest regret, that I wasn’t shouting like this then, but now I’ve got nothing to lose.”
In moving scenes from Caroline Flack: Her Life and Death, she also explained that “the worst thing in the world happened with losing Carrie.” Speaking on camera, she told her late daughter: “Another lonely year has passed. I missed you just as much today as the day you left. I’m doing my very best to tell the world what some awful people drove you to. I won’t give up.”
Christine also spoke frankly about the mental challenges that her daughter faced, explaining: “At the time, they used to call it manic depression. She didn’t want to be told that. She didn’t want a label.
“She hated having this mental health problem, and it was always hushed up. If anyone mentioned it, it was the worst thing you could do.”
Caroline took her own life at her flat in London’s Stoke Newington after discovering that prosecutors intended to pursue an assault charge over an incident involving her boyfriend Lewis Burton in December 2019. She had also lost her job on the ITV show after being arrested over the incident.
Christine spoke of her loss in a moving documentary(Image: )
Coroner Mary Hassell found that Caroline knew she was being prosecuted and could not face the extensive media scrutiny that would accompany the trial.
Christine has since accused the police and prosecutors of targeting her daughter due to her celebrity status, saying they “had it in for her” and had pursued the case unnecessarily. This theory is backed by the Crown Prosecution Service’s recommendation that the presenter should have received a caution over the incident – but this was overturned after an appeal from the Met, which instead charged her with assault by beating.
The force was later ordered to apologise to Flack’s family following a review by the Independent Office for Police Conduct, which found there was not a “record of rationale” to appeal against the CPS decision. Christine said she rejected the apology while the Met insisted her arrest had been handled appropriately.
Caroline’s death also sparked a debate about online hate and the harm this can do to mental health.
