'Sun is still shining'
Caroline Flack’s friend Olly Murs posts heartbreaking tribute to her and says ‘the sun is still shining’
OLLY Murs has paid tribute to his close pal Caroline Flack, six days after she died.
The pop star and Caroline had been friends for years, hosting The X Factor and spin-off show The Xtra Factor together, and he took to Instagram on Friday morning to share a heartbreaking message.
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"Behind the clouds the sun is still shining," he simply wrote alongside a picture of him lying on a beach as rays of light broke through a cloudy sky.
Caroline and Olly hosted The Xtra Factor in 2011 and 2012, and their friendship and witty repertoire saw them become a hit with viewers.
After her success on Strictly Come Dancing in 2014, Simon Cowell asked Caroline to host The X Factor alongside Olly in 2015.
They only hosted for one series - Olly was only signed for a one-year contract - but later admitted that they hadn’t seen each other “in a while”.
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Caroline died on 15 February by suicide.
In the days after her death, Olly shared memories of his friend, writing: "My heart is forever broken.. I’ve lost something today that I’ll never ever get back.. and that’s you."
She was due to face trial in early March for common assault after an alleged attack in December on boyfriend Lewis Burton.
The 40-year-old maintained her innocence, and Lewis refused to cooperate with the prosecution, however the CPS continued with the case.
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YOU'RE NOT ALONE
EVERY 90 minutes in the UK a life is lost to suicide.
It doesn't discriminate, touching the lives of people in every corner of society - from the homeless and unemployed to builders and doctors, reality stars and footballers.
It's the biggest killer of people under the age of 35, more deadly than cancer and car crashes.
And men are three times more likely to take their own life than women.
Yet it's rarely spoken of, a taboo that threatens to continue its deadly rampage unless we all stop and take notice, now.
That is why The Sun launched the You're Not Alone campaign.
The aim is that by sharing practical advice, raising awareness and breaking down the barriers people face when talking about their mental health, we can all do our bit to help save lives.
Let's all vow to ask for help when we need it, and listen out for others... You're Not Alone.
If you, or anyone you know, needs help dealing with mental health problems, the following organisations provide support:
- CALM, , 0800 585 858
- Heads Together,
- Mind, , 0300 123 3393
- Papyrus,, 0800 068 41 41
- Samaritans, , 116 123
On Wednesday, her family shared an unpublished Instagram post written by the star, in which she revealed she felt that the “walls” she had built around herself had “collapsed”.
Caroline, who was described as “vulnerable” by her management, stepped down from presenting the current winter series of Love Island after she was charged with assaulting Lewis, 27, at her flat.
Her bail conditions banned her from having contact with her boyfriend ahead of a trial next month.
In the post, she denied assaulting Burton, saying it was an “accident” and that she had "always taken responsibility for what happened that night".
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“But the truth is … It was an accident," she shared.
She had written that she had “been having some sort of emotional breakdown for a very long time”, adding: “But I am not a domestic abuser.
“We had an argument and an accident happened. An accident.”
The Metropolitan Police has now referred itself to the police watchdog following her death; it is standard practice for a referral to be made to the Independent Office for Police Conduct when a person dies or is seriously injured after recent contact with police, the force said.
- If you are affected by any of the issues raised in this article, please call the Samaritans for free on 116123
Caroline Flack dead - Tributes pourin following tragic death of much loved TV presenter
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