Caroline Flack's mum says social media companies 'fail to protect' users
Norfolk TV presenter Caroline Flack, who died in February 2020. - Credit: Nathan Pask
Caroline Flack's mother has said social media companies "fail to protect" people from abuse and comments on the platforms had a big impact on her daughter.
The Love Island presenter, who grew up in Norfolk, took her own life at the age of 40 at her London home on February 15, 2020.
A new Channel 4 documentary is to tell the story of her life and death, as well as her experience of having issues with her mental health.
Jody, Caroline and Christine Flack, twin sisters and mother, Norfolk, 1980s - Credit: Flack family
Speaking ahead of its release, her mother Christine Flack said social media companies "fail to protect anybody".
She added: "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 would look at her phone all the time. It took her over, what was being said on there. There could be 30 nice things said, one bad thing said, and that was it."
Caroline Flack pictured as a young adult with her hair spread out - Credit: Channel 4/Savannah Mcmillan/PA Wire
Mrs Flack said social media companies should take action over abuse online.
"They are making so much money, it is not that there's a lack of money or profits will suffer," she said. "Someone's got to take a responsibility somewhere for it."
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She said Charlie Russell, the director of the programme, was like a "therapist for a year".
Jody and Caroline Flack in the Norfolk countryside as young girls - Credit: Flack family
"He's made this year bearable because it was someone we could talk to that wasn't another member of the family," Christine added.
"There was no other side, we could just say what we liked and we did find the making of this good."
Caroline Flack: Her Life And Death will see friends of Flack including singer Olly Murs and television presenter Dermot O'Leary pay tribute to Flack in the documentary.
Jody and Caroline Flack enjoying a walk in the countryside - Credit: Flack family
It also features interviews with her twin sister Jody.
Jody said she "often" used to try to convince her sister to change her career in order to have an "easier life" away from the public eye.
"Carrie was never going to have an easy life," she said. "She wasn't built to do that."
Jody added: "It was completely the wrong advice because she absolutely thrived on what she did and she would have never stopped doing it because that's what she wanted to do."
Caroline Flack: Her Life And Death will be broadcast on Wednesday, March 17 on Channel 4 (9pm).
