Laura Whitmore leads tributes to Caroline Flack on late star’s 43rd birthday

By Alex Green, PA Acting Deputy Entertainment Editor

Laura Whitmore and Olly Murs were among those marking the birthday of late Love Island presenter Caroline Flack.

Flack took her own life in February 2020 at the age of 40 and Wednesday would have been her 43rd birthday.

Whitmore, who replaced her as host of the ITV2 dating show, shared a photo of them together which she captioned: “Happy heavenly birthday Flack” before adding a love heart emoji.

Iain Stirling, the narrator of Love Island and husband of Whitmore, posted a photo of himself with Flack which showed them smiling with their thumbs up.

He wrote: “Happy Birthday friend. Thinking of you today.”

Another tribute came from Murs, who worked alongside Flack on the X Factor.

He also took part in the Climb for Caroline campaign in June 2021, led by the charity Samaritans, where friends and family of Flack attempted to climb 24 peaks over 24 hours to raise money.

He shared a video of them dancing together on the X Factor stage, writing: “If the music was on we was dancing! Happy birthday caz.”

Other tributes came from fans on social media, with many posting the “Be Kind” slogan that was shared widely following her death.

Following Flack’s death in February 2020, a coroner ruled she took her own life after learning prosecutors were going to press ahead with an assault charge over an incident involving her boyfriend, Lewis Burton.

If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this article, you can freephone the Samaritans 24 hours a day for confidential support at 116 123 or email jo@samaritans.org.

Alternatively, the contact information for a range of mental health supports is available at mentalhealthireland.ie/get-support.