After arriving at court this morning, Caroline Flack has pleaded not guilty to common assault. The Love Island star was accused of beating boyfriend Lewis Burton after the TV presenter was arrested and charged on 13 December. Following the arrest, she stepped down from her role as the ITV2 dating show’s presenter, saying she didn’t want to detract attention from the next series in Cape Town.
The pair arrived at Highbury Magistrates Court separately and Flack appeared wearing a black coat, scarf and boots and was escorted into court by police to face a short hearing. The MailOnline reports that Flack broke down into floods of tears after she entered the court.
TheMailOnlinehave reported that the pair have since unfollowed each other on Instagram. In a post to her Instagram story last night, Flack also said she did not know ‘where to go’ or ‘who to trust’. She wrote: ‘This is the worst time of my life. I don’t know where to go. Where to look. Or who I even am.’
Laura Whitmore - the girlfriend of voiceover Iain Stirling{
Whitmore, meanwhile, released a statement which said, ‘To say I’m excited to be heading to Cape Town to host Love Island, the biggest show on television, is an understatement.
'I want to thank ITV for trusting me at the helm of this huge show. I wish it was in better circumstances; Caroline is a brilliant host and also a friend. We’ve spoken a lot in the last few days since she stepped down. She has been very kind to me and strongly pushed me for this role. I’ve watched her host every series and know I have big boots to fill. I will try and do it justice.’
Love Island returns to screens on Sunday, 12 January, 2020, on ITV2.
Following the sad news of Caroline Flack's death, we have updated this article, which was originally published in December, to include contact information for Samaritans. If you want to talk to someone about your mental health, you can call Samaritans on 116 123, email jo@samaritans.org or visit the website.