Caroline Flack: Philip Schofield fights back tears as he pays tribute to Love Island host

'Many of us on the show knew Caroline as a friend,' co-host Holly Willoughby said

Dancing on Ice hosts Philip Schofield and Holly Willoughby paid tribute to Caroline Flack at the start of the ITV show’s latest episode.

Schofield fought back the tears as he remembered the former Love Island presenter, who was found dead in her east London home on Saturday (15 February).

“We’d like to begin tonight’s show by taking a moment to remember Caroline Flack in light of yesterday’s awful news,” he said. “We wanted to say that our hearts go out to her family and friends.”

Willoughby continued: "Many of us on the show knew Caroline as a friend and we'll all miss her enormously."

Referencing one of Flack’s Instagram messages, she said: “As Caroline recently posted, ‘In a world where you can be anything, be kind.’”

Later in the show, contestant Joe Swash – a friend of Flack’s – said: “It’s been a really tough day.”

Flack was set to face trial in March over allegations that she had assaulted her boyfriend Lewis Burton at her previous flat in Islington, which she denied.

She entered a not guilty plea at Highbury Corner Magistrates’ Court in December.

Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) notified Flack it would be pursuing the trial despite Burton stating he did not want to press charges.

Following her death, ITV pulled Sunday night’s episode of Love Island, but said the show would return on Monday with a tribute to the presenter, who had been temporarily replaced by Laura Whitmore.

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