Laura Whitmore says ‘it'll never be okay’ after Caroline Flack’s death

‘She was so strong-willed and feisty,’ says TV presenter

(Rex Features)

Laura Whitmore has said it will “never be OK” after Caroline Flack’s death.

Speaking to Cosmopolitan, the TV presenter said: “It’ll never be OK and it’ll never be right. It did scare me.”

Whitmore replaced Flack as the host of Love Island in January after Flack was charged with assault by beating, following an incident at her London home involving her boyfriend Lewis Burton, which she denied. She died by suicide in February, weeks before her assault trial was due to begin.​

“She was so strong-willed and feisty,” Whitmore said of her friend.

“I remember thinking, ‘God, I wish I could be as strong as her’. I felt like if people said things, it wouldn’t bother her. But obviously it did because everyone is human.

“I don’t want to speculate reasons because nobody will ever know. (But) it did frighten me.”

Elsewhere in the interview, Whitmore opened up about her relationship with comedian Iain Stirling, with whom she is isolating during lockdown.

“It’s just Iain, me and the dog in the house right now, and (Iain) is loving it because he gets to eat pasta and play computer games. He’s living his student life,” the 34-year-old said.

“I thought we would drive each other crazy. It’s really helping me think, ‘Actually, this is a good relationship!’ We like each other.”

In the wake of Flack’s death, Whitmore and Stirling were forced to make a plea for privacy after being pursued by paparazzi in a Cape Town airport.

The couple were reuniting for the first time since their friend’s passing.

“I have never courted the paparazzi but understand at work events it comes with the territory,” Whitmore said in a statement at the time.

“But this morning was too much.”

The day after Flack’s death, Whitmore paid tribute to the 40-year-old on her BBC Radio 5 Live show.

“Yesterday we lost someone before their time,” she said.

“We’re going to talk about her and give her the respect that she deserves and that she didn’t always get.”

Whitmore said: “Anyone who knew Caroline knew she was vivacious, loving, and had a passion for life, which is why none of this makes sense”.