Olly Murs has spoken about the heartbreaking moment he was told his friend Caroline Flack had died.
The singer was on holiday with his girlfriend Amelia Tank when his manager called him in the middle of the night to tell him the news that the Love Island presenter had taken her own life at the age of 40.
Olly, who worked with Caroline on The X Factor and Xtra Factor between 2011 and 2013, told The Sun he was “still in shock” following her death two weeks ago.
“I’m still in shock, really,” he said. “To think I won’t have a conversation, a laugh, work, or even just get a random voice note from Cazza again — I just can’t get my head around it.”
Olly remembers the precise moment his phone rang – at 2:23 am – when his manager broke the upsetting news.
“I didn’t know what to do,” Olly said. “My manager told me and I just stared at my phone for hours… I just didn’t want to believe it.
“I was numb to any feelings and then I just broke down.”
He continued: “Since then I just have constant waves of emotions — one minute I’m OK, the next I’m so sad for her.
“It’s hard, I’ll always miss Caz a lot.”
The Voice star was one of the first to pay tribute to Caroline after she was found dead at her London flat on 15 February.
Sharing a picture of them both laughing on Instagram, Olly said his heart was “forever broken”.
Olly, who found fame on X Factor in 2009, returned to the show to present spin-off, The Xtra Factor alongside Caroline, with the two later presenting the main show for one series in 2015.
Useful websites and helplines:
- Mind, open Monday to Friday, 9am-6pm on 0300 123 3393
- Samaritans offers a listening service which is open 24 hours a day, on 116 123 (UK and ROI - this number is FREE to call and will not appear on your phone bill.)
- The Mix is a free support service for people under 25. Call 0808 808 4994 or email: help@themix.org.uk
- Rethink Mental Illness offers practical help through its advice line which can be reached on 0300 5000 927 (open Monday to Friday 10am-4pm). More info can be found on www.rethink.org.