Laura Whitmore has said she appreciated the privacy of lockdown because it allowed her to grieve for Caroline Flack.
The former Love Island host, 40, took her own life in February at the age of 40 .
Whitmore replaced her as host of the ITV2 dating show the previous December after Flack stood down following an assault charge.
She told Womenâs Health Going for Goal podcast: âI think at the time I didnât deal with it because I probably wasnât in a position where I could, because I was still doing this show (Love Island) and I really didnât know...Iâve never lost someone in my group of friends who is so young.
âItâs hard, Iâd get tagged in something by a fan account of Caroline and Iâll think itâs Caroline and itâs only now itâs hit me thatâs not her.â
She added: âI feel itâs okay to grieve privately if you choose to...I found it really difficult because it (Carolineâs death) was so public, thatâs why lockdown was really great if Iâm honest because I had that privacy and I had that time.â
Whitmore has said she has learned the importance of standing up to trolls on social media and added: âI feel stronger by talking, by communicating, and realising that weâre all vulnerable.
âSometimes you think when youâre in this industry - âoh you need to get a thick skinâ - which I probably have built up a little bit. But itâs okay to feel sad and itâs okay for something to knock you, and itâs okay to speak up and say âactually Iâve had enoughâ.â
Whitmore said she has also dealt with the loss of a family member recently, adding: âItâs been a difficult year for so many people, and a lot of people have lost people before their time.
âMy cousin passed away of coronavirus during lockdown, he was only in his forties, in Ireland.â
The full Laura Whitmore interview is on the Womenâs Health Going for Goal podcast, available now.
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