‘All her friends were worried’: Nicola McLean discusses Caroline Flack’s tragic death and claims ‘she was terrified of the trial but would never have been found guilty’
- If you have been affected by this story, you can call the Samaritans on 116 123 or visit www.samaritans.org
Nicola McLean appeared on the Jeremy Vine show on Friday to discuss her friend Caroline Flack’s tragic death.
The reality star said that she had regularly checked in on Caroline, but that the trial had been weighing heavily on her mind.
Nicola, 38, said: ‘Everyone who was her friend was definitely worried about her. I was worried about her. I did what we all did and reached out to her.
‘All her friends were worried’: Nicola McLean discussed Caroline Flack’s tragic death on the Jeremy Vine show on Friday and claimed ‘she was terrified of her upcoming trial’
Sad: Nicola believes that Caroline, 40, should have held onto her job as Love Island host until she was found guilty, although she doesn’t believe that would have been the outcome
‘We were always in conversation anyway and we checked if she was alright and obviously she wasn’t.
‘She was terrified of the trial and who wouldn’t have been? It was so wrong. Caroline went far too quickly. We don’t want anyone else to [suffer] the same.’
Nicola believes that Caroline, 40, should have held onto her job as Love Island host until she was found guilty, although she doesn’t believe that would have been the outcome.
Nicola, 38, said: ‘Everyone who was her friend was definitely worried about her. I was worried about her. I did what we all did and reached out to her’
She added: ‘We were always in conversation anyway and we checked if she was alright and obviously she wasn’t’
Why did the CPS pursue the assault charges when the alleged victim – her boyfriend – wanted them dropped?
The Crown Prosecution Service is under obligation to investigate all domestic violence incidents if they believe they are in the public interest.
For years there has been growing concern that too few domestic violence cases end in prosecution.
Many involve women who have been attacked by their husbands who later withdraw their original accusations under duress or because they are simply living in fear.
To try and address this, the CPS introduced reforms in 2014 aimed at greatly increasing prosecution rates.
They issued guidance to police urging them to gather multiple sources of evidence rather than just relying on the victim’s statement – which may be unreliable or change.
One of the most important sources of evidence in domestic abuse cases is likely to be the original 999 call made by the victim shortly after the attack.
Other evidence could include witness statements from neighbours, medical examinations or images from the scene captured on police bodycams or CCTV.
Miss Flack was understood to be horrified by the prospect of a ‘show trial’ over the alleged assault on her boyfriend Lewis Burton and was worried she could not cope with the fallout.
She said: ‘She should have been in South Africa presenting Love Island… and we would have had a different outcome.’
Caroline tragically took her own life on Saturday, the day after she had been told that the CPS was pursuing the court case against her after she was arrested at her home following a row with boyfriend Lewis Burton, 27, in December.
The TV star had pleaded not guilty to assault by beating at Highbury Corner Magistrates’ Court in North London on December 23 and was due to go on trial at March 4.
Her management company have criticised the CPS for pressing ahead with what it called her ‘show trial’ even after Lewis said he did not support it.
Caroline’s good friend, Radio One DJ Nick Grimshaw also used The Pina Colada song to pay tribute to Caroline following her shock death.
He said on his show on Monday: ‘I just wanted to start the show by saying something about our friend, Caroline.
‘I just feel really weird today, I feel really sad. I’m obviously very shocked about what happened this weekend.
‘It’s such a tragedy and really brutal news to receive. I’m sure you know she was one of my favourite people to have on the show, one of my favourite people full stop.
‘I just thought she was brilliant, I thought she was so wicked. I know a lot of you listening were also big fans of Caroline.
“It’s just been very tough for me and her friends, who knew her personally, and I’m sure it was for anyone who just enjoyed watching Caroline or seeing her on the telly or hearing her here on Radio 1.’
If you have been affected by this story, you can call the Samaritans on 116 123 or visit www.samaritans.org
CAROLINE FLACK: A CALL FOR HELP?
Caroline Flack spoke often about her struggles, both in interviews and on social media.
Caroline said, following her Strictly success: ‘Fame doesn’t make you happy’
STRICTLY CURSE?
The Strictly Come Dancing 2014 winner has said that she felt depressed following her victory on the BBC show.
After she won the series along with professional partner Pasha Kovalev, she admitted that she felt like she was ‘being held together by a piece of string which could snap at any time’.
In an unearthed interview cited by the Daily Star following her death, Caroline claimed that, ‘It all started the day after I won Strictly. I woke up and felt like somebody had covered my body in clingfilm. I couldn’t get up and just couldn’t pick myself up at all that next year.’
She went on: ‘People see the celebrity lifestyle and assume everything is perfect, but we’re just like everyone else. Everyone is battling something emotional behind closed doors – that’s life.
Ignored? ‘When I actually reached out to someone they said I was draining,’ Caroline admitted in October 2019
‘Fame doesn’t make you happy.’
‘BEING A BURDEN IS MY BIGGEST FEAR’
In an Instagram post she uploaded on 14 October 2019 – to mark World Mental Health Day – Caroline captioned a photo of herself: ‘Some days it’s hard to write your feelings of your not in the right place.
‘The last few weeks I’ve been in a really weird place… I find it hard to talk about it… I guess it’s anxiety and pressure of life… and when I actually reached out to someone they said I was draining.
‘I feel like this is why some people keep their emotions to themselves. I certainly hate talking about my feelings. And being a burden is my biggest fear…
‘I’m lucky to be able to pick myself up when things feel s**t. But what happens if someone can’t. Be nice to people. You never know what’s going on. Ever.’ [sic]
SOCIAL SILENCE
Signs of suicide? She liked tweets about calling The Samaritans over Christmas
Caroline was told to stay off social media following her assault charge in December 2019.
However, she notably liked a string of tweets in the days afterwards, before Christmas, encouraging those feeling lonely over the holidays to seek help.
The tweets – posted by the likes of actress Sheridan Smith, journalist Stacey Dooley and comedian Luke Kempner – included the telephone number for The Samaritans’ suicide hotline.
She also posted to Instagram around the same time: ‘This kind of scrutiny and speculation is a lot to take on for one person to take on their own… I’m a human being at the end of the day and I’m not going to be silenced when I have a story to tell and a life to keep going with…
‘I’m taking some time out to get feeling better and learn some lessons from situations I’ve got myself into to. I have nothing but love to give and best wishes for everyone.’
SELF-HELP?
It was reported that Caroline had decided to write a book, during her recent time off.
‘Caroline has found the process incredibly cathartic,’ one of her friends told the Mail. ‘She wants it to be more than just a story about her. She wants to talk about the problems she’s encountered and how she’s overcome them.
‘She hopes to be able to help others who may be going through similar difficulties. Part self-help, part memoir is the style that Caroline is looking for.’
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