Caroline Flack‘s Xtra Factor co-star has spoken out on their friendship after her tragic death, describing the late star as a ‘complicated person’.
Caroline died, age 40, the day after Valentine’s Day, at her new flat in Stoke Newington, London, hours after she was told she would face trial over the alleged assault of boyfriend Lewis Burton last year.
Now Matt Richardson, 28, who took over from Olly Murs to co-host the X Factor spin-off in 2013 with Caroline, has spoken about what is was like to be friends with the ‘kind, loyal and savvy’ presenter.
Devastated: Caroline Flack’s Xtra Factor co-star Matt Richardson has spoken out on their friendship after her tragic death, describing her as a ‘complicated person’ (pictured in 2018)
Talking to Barnaby Slater in the Almost Famous podcast, Matt said: ‘It’s such a shame that it ended the way it did. I always thought she was dealing with it all, but obviously not.
‘I can’t sit here and pretend our working relationship was plain sailing. We argued a lot and fell out a lot.
‘But we sit down and we’d really talk it out. She could be difficult and stubborn sometimes. We pushed back against each other.’
BFF: Matt, 28, who took over from Olly Murs to co-host the Xtra Factor in 2013 with Caroline , has spoken about what is was like to be friends with the ‘kind, loyal and savvy’ presenter
The comedian continued: ‘She was a complicated person. She was very loyal, she was super kind.
‘She was very suspicious of people. There were a few times I would be out and she would text me.
‘I would say “come out” and she’d be a bit offish with my mates because she didn’t trust them. I said “look I’ve known them since I was six, it’s OK” and then she’d be fine.
Friendship: Matt said of Caroline: ‘She was a complicated person. She was very loyal, she was super kind’ (pictured together last year)
‘But it was because she’d been messed around so much, she could be stand-offish with people.’
Matt, who says Caroline taught him how to present said during their stint hosting the Xtra Factor, the star would be on Twitter reading what people were saying about her during the ad breaks.
‘You’re getting 50,000 tweets a night, you really become obsessed with it. It’s really easy to get stuck in,’ he said.
‘Even back then I would really disagree with her with it because as soon as the break happened, she would be on her phone and looking.
Protective: Matt says Caroline taught him how to present said during their stint hosting the Xtra Factor (pictured 2016)
‘Whereas I would never bring my phone in “I’ll do the show and then look”.
‘Caroline always found it and it would really ruin her night, even if we had a great show.
‘It was frustrating, she’s always had a thick skin, but there’s only so much you can take before it wears you down.’
Simon Cowell sensationally axed the show after the series ended in an ITV shake-up but the pair remained firm friends and Matt would often feature of Love Island’s spin-off Aftersun.
The interview comes after Matt paid a heartfelt tribute to Caroline on Instagram, shortly after she passed away.
He wrote: ‘I don’t really know what the f**k to write. Caz was a very significant part of my life. I hadn’t seen her in a while and I’m now regretting that hugely.
‘When I first started in telly she took me under her wing and defended me and protected me fiercely.
‘She didn’t feel like a friend, she felt like a big sister. We laughed, we fought, we had so many inside jokes I can’t even list them all. She was always there, and rescued me from the depths of terrible relationships.
‘The thing that I will miss is her laugh and how making her laugh made me feel. I don’t think I can get my head around her not being here.
‘She was the most fun, she always made me feel like I was the best me. And she was always someone I thought I’d have to speak to, to laugh with forever. I’m gutted. I was proud to be her friend, and I hope I made her proud to be mine.’
If you have been affected by this story, you can call the Samaritans on 116 123 or visit www.samaritans.org
Bond: The pair formed a close friendship after starring on the X Factor together, which Simon Cowell sensationally axed after the season
CAROLINE FLACK: A CALL FOR HELP?
Caroline Flack spoke often about her struggles, both in interviews and on social media.
Caroline said, following her Strictly success: ‘Fame doesn’t make you happy’
STRICTLY CURSE?
The Strictly Come Dancing 2014 winner has said that she felt depressed following her victory on the BBC show.
After she won the series along with professional partner Pasha Kovalev, she admitted that she felt like she was ‘being held together by a piece of string which could snap at any time’.
In an unearthed interview cited by the Daily Star following her death, Caroline claimed that, ‘It all started the day after I won Strictly. I woke up and felt like somebody had covered my body in clingfilm. I couldn’t get up and just couldn’t pick myself up at all that next year.’
She went on: ‘People see the celebrity lifestyle and assume everything is perfect, but we’re just like everyone else. Everyone is battling something emotional behind closed doors – that’s life.
Ignored? ‘When I actually reached out to someone they said I was draining,’ Caroline admitted in October 2019
‘Fame doesn’t make you happy.’
‘BEING A BURDEN IS MY BIGGEST FEAR’
In an Instagram post she uploaded on 14 October 2019 – to mark World Mental Health Day – Caroline captioned a photo of herself: ‘Some days it’s hard to write your feelings of your not in the right place.
‘The last few weeks I’ve been in a really weird place… I find it hard to talk about it… I guess it’s anxiety and pressure of life… and when I actually reached out to someone they said I was draining.
‘I feel like this is why some people keep their emotions to themselves. I certainly hate talking about my feelings. And being a burden is my biggest fear…
‘I’m lucky to be able to pick myself up when things feel s**t. But what happens if someone can’t. Be nice to people. You never know what’s going on. Ever.’ [sic]
SOCIAL SILENCE
Signs of suicide? She liked tweets about calling The Samaritans over Christmas
Caroline was told to stay off social media following her assault charge in December 2019.
However, she notably liked a string of tweets in the days afterwards, before Christmas, encouraging those feeling lonely over the holidays to seek help.
The tweets – posted by the likes of actress Sheridan Smith, journalist Stacey Dooley and comedian Luke Kempner – included the telephone number for The Samaritans’ suicide hotline.
She also posted to Instagram around the same time: ‘This kind of scrutiny and speculation is a lot to take on for one person to take on their own… I’m a human being at the end of the day and I’m not going to be silenced when I have a story to tell and a life to keep going with…
‘I’m taking some time out to get feeling better and learn some lessons from situations I’ve got myself into to. I have nothing but love to give and best wishes for everyone.’
SELF-HELP?
It was reported that Caroline had decided to write a book, during her recent time off.
‘Caroline has found the process incredibly cathartic,’ one of her friends told the Mail. ‘She wants it to be more than just a story about her. She wants to talk about the problems she’s encountered and how she’s overcome them.
‘She hopes to be able to help others who may be going through similar difficulties. Part self-help, part memoir is the style that Caroline is looking for.’