CAROLINE Flack’s former roommate has spoken about her shock at the star's death, saying: "She was so full of happiness, energy and drive."
Bernadette Battom, who went to theatre school with the former Love Island host when she was 16, insisted: "If you told me back then that this was going to happen, I would never have believed it."
She spoke to the Sunday People about their time at Cambridge's Bodywork Company in 1996, where they shared a house with three other hopeful performers.
The 42-year-old explained: "She was so full of happiness, energy and drive.
“She was a bundle of confidence and always got picked for everything. We were working so hard we were coming home exhausted, so we didn’t go out loads or party."
Three years after she graduated from Bodywork, Caroline got her break in Channel 4 comedy Bo'Selecta, alongside Keith Lemon star Leigh Francis.
The TV star took her own life on Saturday last week, with countless friends paying her heartrending tributes.
Her X Factor co-star Olly Murs wrote: "My heart is forever broken.. I’ve lost something today that I’ll never ever get back.. and that’s you."
Keith Lemon, who has a range of charity T-shirts with her face on them to raise money for the Samaritans, posted: "Like everyone I was absolutely shocked by the news of what happened to Caroline.
"All the recent events just seemed so unreal. I’d been friends with Caroline for many years. Since before telly happened.
"In more recent times I’d not seen Caroline as much as I had years ago, but it was always like old times when I saw her."
She was due to face trial in early March for common assault after an alleged attack in December on boyfriend Lewis Burton.
The 40-year-old star maintained her innocence, and Lewis refused to cooperate with the prosecution. However, the CPS continued with the case.
YOU'RE NOT ALONE
EVERY 90 minutes in the UK a life is lost to suicide.
It doesn't discriminate, touching the lives of people in every corner of society – from the homeless and unemployed to builders and doctors, reality stars and footballers.
It's the biggest killer of people under the age of 35, more deadly than cancer and car crashes.
And men are three times more likely to take their own life than women.
Yet it's rarely spoken of, a taboo that threatens to continue its deadly rampage unless we all stop and take notice, now.
That is why The Sun launched the You're Not Alone campaign.
The aim is that by sharing practical advice, raising awareness and breaking down the barriers people face when talking about their mental health, we can all do our bit to help save lives.
Let's all vow to ask for help when we need it, and listen out for others… You're Not Alone.
If you, or anyone you know, needs help dealing with mental health problems, the following organisations provide support:
- CALM, www.thecalmzone.net, 0800 585 858
- Heads Together, www.headstogether.org.uk
- Mind, www.mind.org.uk, 0300 123 3393
- Papyrus, www.papyrus-uk.org, 0800 068 41 41
- Samaritans, www.samaritans.org, 116 123
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