Caroline Flack dead at 40

Caroline Flack has died at the age of 40, her family said in a statement.

The TV presenter took her own life at her new flat in east London.

The family statement said: “We can confirm that our Caroline passed away today, the 15th of February.

“We would ask that the press respect the privacy of the family at this difficult time and we would ask they make no attempt to contact us and/or photograph us.”

The troubled Love Island star stepped down from presenting the show after she was alleged to have assaulted her boyfriend Lewis Burton 27, at her then flat in Islington, north London, in December.

She entered a not guilty plea to the assault charge at Highbury Corner Magistrates’ Court and she was released on bail with conditions that stopped her having any contact with Burton ahead of a trial in March.

An ITV spokeswoman said: “Everybody at Love Island and ITV is shocked and saddened by this desperately sad news.

“Caroline was a much loved member of the Love Island team and our sincere thoughts and condolences are with her family and friends.”

TV presenters Davina McCall, Phillip Schofield and Claudia Winkleman were among those reacting to the news of Flack’s death.

The Masked Singer star McCall tweeted: “I’m so so sad to hear about @carolineflack1.

“I don’t even know what to say. But my heart goes out to her friends and family x I might be a bit quiet tonight on social media .. just doesn’t seem right .”

This Morning host Schofield paid tribute to Flack with a post on his Instagram stories.

He added text above a message that Flack had posted on social media, which read: “In a world where you can be anything, be kind.”

Schofield wrote: “You poor darling girl my heart is breaking #BeKind.”

Strictly Come Dancing host Winkleman tweeted: “Such heartbreaking news. Sending so much love to Caroline’s family and friends. XXX.”

BBC Breakfast’s Dan Walker tweeted: “Awful news about Caroline Flack. We really need to be better at taking care of each other. So sad.”

Comedian Jack Whitehall wrote on Twitter that the news was “utterly devastating”.

He added: “She was a fun, kind beautiful person, always loved seeing her. So unfair that this has happened.

“Let’s pray we learn from this and remember to be a little bit more compassionate to people when they are down.”

Flack’s TV presenting roles have included Gladiators, I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! NOW!, The X Factor and The Xtra Factor.

She won Strictly Come Dancing in 2014 while paired with professional dancer Pasha Kovalev.

The following year she joined the revival of dating reality show Love Island on ITV2.

She hosted the first five series of the popular programme, one of the most-watched reality shows in the UK in recent years, as well as its spin-off programme Aftersun.

The current series of the programme, the first winter edition, is being hosted by Laura Whitmore after Flack stepped back from her presenting duties.