Nicola McLean has admitted she believes Caroline Flack could have been saved if she'd kept her job on Love Island .
During an appearance on Friday's Jeremy Vine Show, Nicola said Caroline's decision to stand down left her 'tried by the public' before she was 'tried by a judge.'
Caroline, 40, had announced in December her plans to withdraw from hosting the winter series after being arrested for allegedly assaulting boyfriend Lewis Burton.
Two months later, the troubled TV star took her own life a day after hearing her trial would still be going ahead by the Crown Prosecution Service.
"It's so wrong that she was tried…and I didn't realise I would be saying all this… but from my heart, it's so horrific that she was tried by the public and by everybody before she was tried in front of a judge," said Nicola.
She went on: "Everyone found her guilty before she was found guilty. And she wouldn't have been found guilty. It was so wrong."
The reality star added that she believes Caroline 'might have had a different outcome' if she'd carried on presenting her beloved show.
"Before she was [found guilty] she should have been out in South Africa presenting Love Island and we would have had a different outcome," said Nicola.
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Nicola told the host Caroline had been 'terrified' of her upcoming trial, "and who wouldn't have been?" she added.
"I think everyone who was friends with Caroline was definitely worried about her.
"I did what we all did and reached out to her. We were always in conversation anyway and I checked to see if she was alright and obviously she wasn't."
Caroline had hosted Love Island for five series but stood down to let her friend Laura Whitmore take over for the first winter edition as her court case loomed.
Speaking in December, Caroline said she was 'absolutely devastated' not to join the team in South Africa, but felt it was the right thing to to.
In a statement she said: "Love Island has been my world for the last five years, it's the best show on telly.
"In order not to detract from the attention of the upcoming series I feel the best thing I can do is stand down for Series 6."
She continued: "I want to wish the incredible team working on the show a fantastic series in Cape Town."
ITV responded to say that they understood and accepted Caroline's decision.
After news of Caroline's death was confirmed over the weekend, Laura Whitmore said Caroline would have wanted the show to continue.
She also stood up for ITV amid after some viewers called for the dating series to be axed altogether.
Speaking on her Radio 5 Live show, Laura said: "Caroline loved to love. That's all she wanted
"Which is why the show Love Island is important to her because the show is about finding love, friendship, having a laugh.
"The problem wasn't the show, the show to work on is loving and caring and safe and protected. The problem is that the outside world is not."
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