Heartbroken Laura Whitmore has paid tribute to her friend Caroline Flack following her tragic death.
The Irish presenter stepped in to host Love Island's first ever winter series this year when Caroline stepped down from her position.
Tonight, it was confirmed that Caroline had tragically taken her own life and was found dead at her London home at the age of 40.
After the news broke, a heartbroken Laura took to social media to pay tribute.
She shared a sweet picture of them together, which showed Caroline lovingly draping her arm around Laura's shoulders to pull her friend closer.
Laura wrote: "I’m trying to find the words but I can’t," adding a broken heart emoji.
She also shared a poem that read: "To lose someone so special is really hard to bear it hardly seems believable that you're no longer there
"You left us far too early before your time, it seems and now you'll never have the chance to fulfill all those dreams
"However hard it is though we'll take comfort in the thought of all the memories we have and the happiness you brought
"You always lived life to the full but ours won't be the same until the day when we can see your smiling face again"
A lawyer for the Flack family confirmed that Caroline took her own life.
A family spokesperson said: "We can confirm that our Caroline passed away today on the 15th February.
"We would ask that the press respect the privacy of the family at this difficult time."
Rumours of the star's death began to circulate on Twitter this afternoon, leaving fans devastated.
Caroline had recently returned to the UK after retreating to Los Angeles in the aftermath of her arrest for allegedly assaulting her boyfriend.
The incident forced her to step down as host of Love Island, the show which had propelled her into the top tier of British celebrity.
Caroline was due to stand trial on March 4 after pleading not guilty to assault by beating following an early-morning altercation with her boyfriend Lewis Burton.
Caroline began her TV acting and presenting career back in 2001, but it was Love Island that brought her the most fame.
She hosted the hit ITV2 dating show and its spin-off Aftersun from 2015 to 2019, but stepped down from her role after being arrested at her London home following an alleged altercation with her boyfriend.
She had been charged with assault by beating, but pleaded not guilty, and Lewis had remained loyal by her side.
In December, Caroline announced she was leaving her job on Love Island just days before she was due to fly out to South Africa to host the first ever Winter Series.
Confirming the news, she wrote on Instagram: "Love Island has been my world for the last five years, it's the best show on telly.
"In order not to detract from the attention of the upcoming series I feel the best thing I can do is stand down for Series 6."
Laura was brought in to replace Caroline, saying it was an honour to step into the role.
Laura's boyfriend Iain Stirling provides the voiceover for the show.
* Samaritans (116 123) operates a 24-hour service available every day of the year. If you prefer to write down how you’re feeling, or if you’re worried about being overheard on the phone, you can email Samaritans at jo@samaritans.org
