Winter Love Island winners Paige Turley and Finn Tapp have spoken out about when they were informed of Caroline Flack’s death, revealing they were told shortly before the final.
On Saturday 15 February, former Love Island presenter Flack passed away at the age of 40, having taken her own life.
Radio and television presenter Laura Whitmore delivered an emotional tribute to her during Sunday night’s final of the reality dating show, during which Paige and Finn were crowned the winners and awarded a £50,000 cash prize.
Following the final episode of the ITV2 series, 22-year-old Paige and 20-year-old Finn spoke to The Sun about how they found out about Flack’s death and what she meant to them.
“We were told just before the final,” Finn said. “They wanted to tell us at the best time and the best way and we’re thankful that they did that.
“We remember her fondly. We loved her as a fan watching it on telly over the past few series, that’s the relationship we had with her.”
Paige said that “everyone knew how much she loved Love Island“.
“It’s such a sensitive subject, we just sent love to Caroline’s family,” she added.
During her tribute to Flack, Whitmore stated that the past week had been “extremely difficult coming to terms with the death of our friend and colleague Caroline”.
A series of clips from Flack’s time on Love Island between 2015 and 2019 were then shown on screen.
Earlier this week, workers on the London Underground paid homage to the late television presenter with a poem written on a white board in a tube station.
The poem began: “As the sun sets on an island of love / You will shine on forever in a paradise above.”
The inscription concluded by stating: “May heaven be as beautiful as you, may you find true peace of mind / There is no solution for our confusion, but, we need to always be kind.”
If you are experiencing feelings of distress and isolation, or are struggling to cope, The Samaritans offers support; you can speak to someone for free over the phone, in confidence, on 116 123 (UK and ROI), email jo@samaritans.org, or visit the Samaritans website to find details of your nearest branch.
For services local to you, the national mental health database – Hub of Hope – allows you to enter your postcode to search for organisations and charities who offer mental health advice and support in your area.
