Caroline Flack's mother warns social media fails to protect anybody

Family of the Love Island presenter said they want Flack to be remembered in a positive light. Photo / Getty Images

Caroline Flack's mother has hit out at social media companies for "failing to protect anybody".

The TV presenter took her own life last year at the age of 40, and her mum Christine has admitted the former "Love Island" presenter would "look at her phone all the time", and even if several people were praising her she would always focus on the "one bad thing said".

Speaking about social media platforms, she said: "They failed to protect anybody. I think we know it's Caroline because she's my daughter and Jo's sister, but they don't protect anyone. They don't protect young girls.

Caroline Flack died suddenly in February last year. Photo / Getty Images

"When I was young if you were bullied at school you could get away from it.

"You can't get away from it now because it follows you home, it follows you on your phone.

"Carrie was the worst one - she looked at her phone all the time. It took her over, what was being said. And there could be 30 nice things said, one bad thing said, and that was it."

Christine was speaking before the release of the Channel 4 documentary, "Caroline Flack: Her Life and Death".

She recently admitted Caroline "didn't handle heartbreak well".

She explained: "She had a long relationship when she was in Cambridge but that ended and then we got a call, she'd taken some pills, she spent time in hospital and then you could tell it wasn't right, her reaction wasn't right. Yeah, she didn't handle heartbreak well.

"We went through all the doctors and they saw to her and thought no it's just a one off but there was always that fear after then that… I don't know, you always worried in case anything happened."

Caroline's twin sister Jody, 41, added: "It feels so weird talking about it because I know it's something she never wanted anybody to know about.

"Each serious boyfriend, she sort of took a lot of tablets, drank a lot, and ended up in an A&E situation a lot of times. She really didn't think she could cope with that feeling so it was her trying to control it."

Where to get help:

• Lifeline: 0800 543 354 (available 24/7)
• Suicide Crisis Helpline: 0508 828 865 (0508 TAUTOKO) (available 24/7)
• Youthline: 0800 376 633
• Kidsline: 0800 543 754 (available 24/7)
• Whatsup: 0800 942 8787 (1pm to 11pm)
• Depression helpline: 0800 111 757 (available 24/7)
• Rainbow Youth: (09) 376 4155
• Samaritans 0800 726 666
• If it is an emergency and you feel like you or someone else is at risk, call 111.