(Picture: Rex; Splash)
Seann Walsh has said he was ‘very nearly pushed there’ following the death of Caroline Flack.
The former Love Island host has died aged 40, with a lawyer for her family confirming that she took her own life.
In the wake of the tragedy, comedian Seann has compared his own experience of trolling to that of Caroline, saying he was also almost pushed to suicide.
The 34-year-old tweeted: ‘Shocked by the news of Caroline’s death but not surprised. I have said that this would happen soon. I was very nearly pushed there myself. I do not post this lightly.
‘It’s absolutely tragic. It’s sad and disgusting and should never have happened. I’m sorry.’
Followers reached out in the replies, with one person tweeting: ‘I can completely see how you were pushed to the edge. So glad you stayed. I really hope this might make people think before they act.’
Another wrote: ‘Sorry to hear you went to a dark place too. No-one deserves that.’
Seann found himself one of the most talked about celebrities in the UK in late 2018 when he took part in Strictly Come Dancing.
The comic, who at the time was in a five-year relationship with actress Rebecca Humphries, was pictured kissing his professional partner Katya Jones after a night at a pub.
Walsh instantly became public number one, with his girlfriend publicly dumping him. He and Katya issued an apology on Strictly: It Takes Two, and months later, Seann admitted that his actions were emotional abuse.
Speaking about his treatment of his ex-girlfriend on The Jonathan Ross Show, Seann said: ‘I think that when I first saw that statement it was so huge and you go through a mixture of emotions and I didn’t really know how to react. But I think with the time that I’ve had, that actually she is right, I think everything she said in that statement is right.
’At first it’s denial, initially you look at that and you go, “No absolutely not.” But with time, someone that you cared about has written that about you and posted that and I think that actually, yes she was right what she said.
‘And I think if you lie and cheat on the person that you’re meant to care for and be in a relationship with, then that is a form of abuse, of course it is. All I can be is as sorry as I am. I hope one day that she’ll forgive me.’
Caroline had been awaiting trial after pleading not guilty to assault, following her arrest in December 2019.
Following the tragic news of Flack’s death, there have been calls for Love Island to be cancelled, like The Jeremy Kyle Show, which was axed following the death of guest Steve Dymond.
In the past two years, two islanders – series two star Sophie Gradon and series three’s Mike Thalassitis – have taken their own lives.
Celebrities have been paying tribute to Caroline since the news broke, including I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! hosts Ant and Dec and her Love Island replacement Laura Whitmore.
MORE: Caroline Flack took her own life, lawyer confirms
MORE: Love Island break silence on Caroline Flack’s death: ‘Everyone is shocked and saddened’
