Caroline Flack‘s Channel 4 show The Surjury has been cancelled following the Love Island star’s death aged 40 on Saturday.
The new series, which was set to see participants go under the knife if they were given the thumbs-up by a 12-strong jury, was set to air later in 2020.
A spokesperson for Channel 4 told Metro: ‘We are shocked and saddened to hear the tragic news about Caroline Flack.
Decision: Channel 4 have announced they will not be airing their upcoming programme, The Surjury, following the tragic passing of host Caroline Flack on Saturday
‘Our deepest sympathies go out to Caroline’s family and friends. Under the circumstances, we have decided not to broadcast The Surjury.’
MailOnline have reached out to Channel 4 for comment.
A lawyer for Caroline’s family confirmed the TV star had died and released a statement on Saturday: ‘We can confirm that our Caroline passed away today, the 15th of February.
Statement: A spokesperson for Channel 4 said: ‘We are shocked and saddened to hear the tragic news about Caroline Flack’
‘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.’
In October the show was met with controversy after Jameela Jamil laid into the premise on Twitter.
The Good Place actress posted a tweet about the new show and wrote: ‘Welp. Black Mirror is officially happening guys. It’s here.’
Announcement: Caroline previously shared her joy to be hosting the show. The premise of The Surjury is that participants will go under the knife if they are given the thumbs-up by a 12-strong jury
But Caroline quickly wrote back: ‘Have you managed to see a copy before me ? Please forward .. am desperate to see..’
The premise of The Surjury is that participants will go under the knife if they are given the thumbs-up by a 12-strong jury.
Contestants will have to secure 75 per cent of the jury vote to get their procedure, and then will be invited back to ‘show off the results’ after a few months.
She’s not impressed: In October the show was met with controversy after Jameela Jamil laid into the premise on Twitter
Open and honest: Caroline said the show goes a lot deeper than one might think and addresses why people feel the need to get surgery
Following Jameela’s post, a fan tweeted Caroline: ‘How can you be so defensive about a show this toxic and exploitative that you’re willingly hosting?’
She replied: ‘Because I’ve filmed it and the people who have taken part are amazing and have been through a lot and life is about individual choice…’
The tragic news of Caroline’s passing was confirmed on Saturday.
Flack has been described by friends as feeling ‘she was on her own’ and ‘couldn’t see a way out’. It is understood to have been struggling with her mental health and using anti-depressants before her death.
Lashing out: Caroline responded to Jameela ‘Have you managed to see a copy before me ? Please forward .. am desperate to see..’
According to the Mail On Sunday a worried producer friend had been staying with the star but found she couldn’t get back into her flat after returning from the shops, a source said. She called Flack’s father Ian who gained entry to the flat where he found the star’s body.
The saga surrounding Flack’s court case saw her ‘step down’ from hosting Love Island – the first ever winter series is currently on air that is currently hosted by Laura Whitmore.
ITV and Love Island’s producers will now come under scrutiny for that decision and what support they gave her. Reality shows have been warned by OFCOM that they have a duty of care towards their stars.
Heartbreaking: The tragic news of Caroline’s passing was confirmed on Saturday by family lawyers
Love Island contestants Mike Thalassitis and Sophie Gradon hanged themselves following their appearances on the dating programme, throwing the show’s future into question. The presenter’s death has led to calls for the ITV2 flagship show to be axed by the broadcaster.
Friends of the presenter have said she had been terrified of her impending court date. ‘She was on her own. She couldn’t take it anymore. Her family are devastated,’ one friend told The Mirror.
Another added: ‘Caroline couldn’t bear the thought of going through the court case. She felt her career would never recover from this – and she felt humiliated in front of the world. In the end she just couldn’t see a way out. She didn’t know how to fix herself.’
So sad: Love Island contestants Mike Thalassitis and Sophie Gradon hanged themselves following their appearances on the dating programme, throwing the show’s future into question
One friend also said she had been on anti-depressants: ‘She went to a climbing wall with one of her pals, and they were trying to keep her spirits up but she was going deeper into her depression. In the last few weeks she was with a lot of her friends and rarely alone.’
The presenter was revealed to be writing a ‘self-help’ book. ‘Caroline has found the process incredibly cathartic,’ one of her friends said last week. ‘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.
If you have been affected by this story, you can call the Samaritans on 116 123 or visit www.samaritans.org
Heartbreaking loss: ‘She was on her own. She couldn’t take it anymore. Her family are devastated,’ one friend told The Mirror
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.’
