Caroline Flack Dead

Ah Sarah Vine, the reputable psychiatrist who backed the research of her rather contoversial friend, the one who made up results.

SV who over the years in the DM has rubbished many a woman. Still given who she has to go home to ....

Laura Whitmore gave a very emotional tribute to her friend, even though clearly in much distress. This spoke volumes to me, far more than the posts on Twitter.

Media - Instagram, YouTube, television - has facilitated a quick entry into a false world of so called celebrity, quickly removing those that become ‘stars’ from‘real’ reality. There is a comfort in the humdrum predictable existence most of us have, where we can know who we can trust and who is a real friend. Love Island has had three associated deaths but how many other lives has it tainted by other programmes? Arg from TOWIE. Sandi from Googlebox. Probably many more. You don’t have to look to far to find many that have revelled in the spotlight and floundered when that light turns away from them. The only things that will stop this cheap telly preying on young people is not to watch it. However I think that’s unlikely at the moment.

The looming court case must have been on her mind for months. This is a good example why court cases must be dealt with within weeks rather then months.

“To the press, the newspapers, who create clickbait, who demonise and tear down success, we’ve had enough,” said Whitmore in an impassioned speech on her weekly BBC Radio 5 live show.

“I’ve seen journalists and Twitter warriors talk of this tragedy and they themselves twisted what the truth is … Your words affect people. To paparazzi and tabloids looking for a cheap sell, to trolls hiding behind a keyboard, enough.”

Sadly, it will never happen while there’s that sick audience out there who gobble up this tabloid poison.

Yes, very sad she felt she had no other choice.

Domestic violence is horrific. Even if her boyfriend didn't want to press charges the law now has changed. The police, if they have enough evidence, can put a case to the CPS . This is to try and stop victims being bullied into dropping charges as historically they have done. I for one completely agree with the law change.
What I don't agree with is why it has to be public? She had not been convicted.
I do agree she should have been suspended from her job. Again, that should not have been public, or the reason behind it anyway.
I don't know if the poor woman would have taken a different decision if she had had privacy.
I don't think our press laws are right or fair. Many people are found to be not guilty but their names and faces are bandied around the media and people make judgments. Very difficult for a jury to come to an unbiased conclusion imo.
The young folk who choose to take part in these reality programmes do so without much forethought it seems. Fame hungry. To have sexual relations (albeit under sheets) on camera is degrading. Shit sticks. That's the reality. After the deaths that programme has already had I for one would be happy to see it scrapped, like Jeremy Kyle!

So Love Island is back on the screens tonight
UNBELIEVABLE

I'm still shocked by people blaming the police, the cps, the courts. The change to laws on domestic abuse were made to protect victims. A large number of people who have been the victims of DA don't want their partner prosecuted. That doesn't mean it shouldn't happen. A successful prosecution can lead to the perpetrator being involved in a programme, aimed at changing their behaviour.
The information about this alleged assault suggests this woman needed psychological help. My own view, is that people who are attracted to this kind of reality tv show are unlikely to be the most grounded and involvement won't help them achieve stability.

Totally agree Iam64

I thought they were cancelling tonight's show as well BlueBelle no shame.

Yes we have an intrusive press, but certain celebrities put every aspect of their life up for public consumption via social media. I do believe it's possible to be a famous person and live a completely private life. For example, I've never read anything about the actress Emily Watson, not to be confused with Emma the Harry Potter actress. Clearly when she isn't working in pretty high profile stuff such as "Chernobyl" she lives her life as a private individual away from the spotlight, there are others no doubt, but she springs to mind having recently watched that programme. Obviously "Love Island" is not of that ilk and as a high profile load of salacious crap designed to appeal to the masses in the basest way, possibly it would, I imagine the producers would expect a presenter to have some sort of profile However, there are those that reveal too much about themselves, and if you do, it seems that stirs up a hornet's nest of trolls who make it their business to stalk the vulnerable on social media sites. Maybe it would be a good thing not to keep blasting the Twittersphere with drivel homilies and just keep quiet.

Well said I am.

Yes I also agree with the very good points made by Iam

Jim her case has been dealt with extraordinarily quickly. It happened in December and the court case was due early March. And this was with the Christmas holidays .With the resource crisis in our Courts, police, CPS , accused people wait much longer than this, often on remand or bail conditions that are very onerous. Often they can’t work. There will always be some wait as evidence has to be gathered, access prepared and a defence case assembled. I’m afraid your sort of post is another example of how so many people haven’t got a clue about the CJS and why there is so much ill informed rubbish being spouted all over the place a out this case.

Access = a case

The thing about fame is that you can't control it. Once you are in the public domain, especially if that's the life you have chosen, everything you do is put under the spotlight. I think that you have to have a resilient personality and a secure support network to cope when things go awry. The press are fickle, ditto the public. Hero one minute and villan the next.

The police officer(s) who leaked and were obviously paid for the crime scene photographs needs to be sacked. Obviously the press offer money but police officers need to be above all that.

Well posted Daisymae

But Daisy you can control fame- see TerriBulls post - she’s spot on. The real issue is choosing to be the presenter of a programme like LI..

I disagree Daisymae, I've given an example in my post above of a high profile actress who doesn't live her life in the public domain. I imagine it depends on the sort of person you are as to how much of your life you are prepared to reveal, some remain completely anonymous when they aren't working, maybe the occasional red carpet appearance written into a contract to promote a piece of work. Unfortunately, social media for some is tantamount to "moths to a flame" subliminally I imagine many users know at it's worst, it's damaging particularly to a vulnerable soul such as Caroline, but we live in the age of public outpourings and faux hugging and blubbering, exemplified by the recent Philip Schofield nonsense. So many want to be part of all of that.

Only to a certain degree, life can take anybody down when you are not looking. That's when the intensive scrutiny starts. Some attract more negative publicity than others but no one in public life is immune.

Article in Daily Mail today a source says the main thing on her mind was if the bodycam footage of the police visit would come out. Seems to me it implies she felt shame about what happened. Which at least would have made it likely she'd seek help for her behaviour (caveat: if it happened) It's especially sad when someone who could have come through a crisis an even stronger person gives up just before that breakthrough happens.

There was a time in my younger life when I was suicidal, but I fortunately came through it to have 30 (and ongoing) happy years with my current husband. I'd have missed out on that if I had died.

Given that not many of us want to CPS to just drop charges every time a victim asks them to, what could have been done differently to help Caroline through this?

But some people in public life are architects of their own destruction. Others, like some women MPs are mocked, threatened and trolled on social media for just doing their jobs.

The question is Ready what are the issues facing the CJS in general ? What support structures are in place for all participants - victims, witnesses, accused in general? What extra support should be in place for those who may be judged more vulnerable because of age ( young/ old) physical disability, mental health problems, degree of trauma caused by the crime ( suffering it, witnessing it), Help with getting to court ( many have been closed), availability of legal aid. Facilities at the court - separation of parties etc. There seems to be no general public appetite for a proper discussion about our CJS and how it fails hundreds of people daily. Just addressing the needs of the accused in this atypical case will only skew the discussion to the detriment of many others.

For the famous, I imagine Twitter is addictive.

I do wonder if CF felt unmoored by the crisis. Shame is an awful feeling. And the wait for the court case can only have increased her mounting anxiety. That body-cam footage by the police. She will have known that ‘showbiz’ were about to learn of her secrets. Poor girl she will have felt trapped.

She had her demons it sounds. Anxiety, depression, low self esteem, no settled romance, self medicating with alcohol which seemingly led to violence. She spoke of being told she ‘was draining’ when she confided in someone.

All this is beyond distressing, for her, her family and friends. I don’t think she could deal with the shame.