TRIBUTES have been paid by Oxford-based aid charity Oxfam to the television presenter Caroline Flack, who died yesterday after taking her own life.

Miss Flack, 40, who presented ITV’s Love Island, had also co-hosted The X Factor and won Strictly Come Dancing in 2014. She was a strong supporter of Oxfam’s work overseas and backed fundraising campaigns for the organisation, which has its headquarters in Cowley.

Genevieve Willis, Oxfam’s Senior Artist Liaison Manager, said: “Oxfam is truly sorry to hear of the loss of Caroline Flack.

“Caroline supported Oxfam for many years, from taking time to help out at our celebrity jumble sales to campaign shoots with the photographer Rankin. Our thoughts are with her family and friends.”

One of Miss Flack’s images, taken by Rankin, pictured above, shows her leaping in the air.

Read again: Shock as Caroline Flack found dead at her home

Miss Flack stood down from the dating show after she was charged with assaulting her boyfriend Lewis Burton in December. She had denied the charges.

Mr Burton said that his “heart is broken” following her death.

The 27-year-old, who was not allowed to have any contact with his girlfriend since late last year due to her bail conditions, said that he would now be her “voice” and would “get all the answers”, in an emotional tribute on Instagram.

Beside a picture of them together, he wrote: “My heart is broken we had something so special.

“I am so lost for words I am in so much pain I miss you so much I know you felt safe with me you always said I don’t think about anything else when I am with you and I was not allowed to be there this time I kept asking and asking.

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Caroline Flack. Picture courtesy of Genevieve Willis, Oxfam

“I will be your voice baby I promise I will ask all the questions you wanted and I will get all the answers nothing will bring you back but I will try make you proud everyday.

“I love you with all my heart.”

Miss Flack’s family confirmed that she died on Saturday, adding in a statement: “We would ask that the press respect the privacy of the family at this difficult time and we would ask they make no attempt to contact us and/or photograph us.”

The shock news prompted a flood of tributes from celebrities but also questions about the decision to press ahead with prosecuting for the alleged assault on Burton, as well as the pressures faced by TV celebrities from the press and social media.

Miss Flack was described as “vulnerable” by her management. In a statement released on Saturday night, her management company criticised the Crown Prosecution Service for pressing ahead with what it called her “show trial” even after her boyfriend said he did not support it.

Francis Ridley, of Money Talent Management, said: “In recent months Caroline had been under huge pressure because of an ongoing case and potential trial which has been well reported.

“The Crown Prosecution Service pursued this when they knew not only how very vulnerable Caroline was but also that the alleged victim did not support the prosecution and had disputed the CPS version of events.

“The CPS should look at themselves today and how they pursued a show trial that was not only without merit but not in the public interest. And ultimately resulted in significant distress to Caroline.”

Talent agent Jonathan Shalit told BBC Radio 5’s Stephen Nolan that Flack received “more negative press than a terrorist or a paedophile” over the trial.

“These people might be famous, but they’re still vulnerable individuals,” Mr Shalit added.

An online petition calling for a government inquiry into “the practices and policies of mainstream media organisations and social media platforms in their efforts to protect members of the public from harm” has already had more than 125,000 signatures.

The tragedy has put the spotlight back on the pressures which come with TV celebrity.

Miss Flack is the fourth person linked to Love Island to have killed themselves.

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Sophie Gradon, who appeared as a contestant in the show in 2016, was found dead at her home in 2018 at the age of 32. Her boyfriend Aaron Armstrong, who had found her body, killed himself three weeks later. He was 25.

Mike Thalassitis, who appeared in the 2017 series, was 26 when he was found dead in a park in March last year.

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Following the news of Miss Flack’s death, an ITV spokeswoman said: “Everybody at Love Island and ITV is shocked and saddened by this desperately sad news.

“Caroline was a much loved member of the Love Island team and our sincere thoughts and condolences are with her family and friends.”

A highlights episode of Love Island, called Unseen Bits, that was due to air on Saturday evening on ITV2 was pulled from the schedule.

Channel 4 has also said it will no longer air The Surjury, a new cosmetic surgery-based TV series with Miss Flack as its host.

Among those paying tribute were her former X Factor colleague Dermot O’Leary, who said he had “candles lit” in her memory, and her Love Island colleague Iain Stirling.

Mr Stirling, the programme’s narrator, shared a video of Miss Flack from a performance on Strictly Come Dancing in 2014 and wrote: “Today my friend slow motion walked into heaven. I will miss her always. Thank you for everything x.”

Laura Whitmore, who replaced Miss Flack as Love Island host for the latest series, tweeted “I’m trying to find the words but I can’t”, followed by a broken heart emoji.