Image copyright Reuters

An ITV boss has said staff at the TV station are "devastated" by the "tragic" death of ex-Love Island presenter Caroline Flack.

Director of television Kevin Lygo said that when Flack stepped down after being charged with assaulting her boyfriend, the door was left open for her to return as host on the ITV2 show.

Tonight's episode will carry a tribute to her from Iain Stirling and the team.

A lawyer for Flack's family said she had taken her own life.

In a statement, Lygo, ITV's director of television, said Flack had been part of the dating show "from the very beginning" and her "passion, dedication and boundless energy contributed to the show's success".

Caroline "was very vocal" in her support of the show, and viewers "could relate to her and she to them", he said.

Lygo added that, after Flack stepped down, the channel "made it clear that the door was left open for her to return".

He said the show's team remained in "regular contact with her" and "continued to offer support over the last few months".

"We will all miss her very much," he added.

Love Island is to return tonight after two episodes over the weekend were cancelled after the 40-year-old was found dead in her north London home on Saturday.

ITV confirmed companion show Love Island: Aftersun will not air on Monday while the Morning After podcast will not take place on Tuesday.

In a joint statement, ITV and Just Eat, Love Island's advertising partner, said they have worked with Samaritans to replace the branding for tonight's episode "so that anyone affected by Caroline's death can access support".

Laura Whitmore replaced her as host of the dating show after Flack was charged with assaulting her boyfriend, Lewis Burton, last December, and had been due to stand trial. Flack denied the charge.

Her management company said she had been "under huge pressure" since the assault charge.

Following her death, a petition was launched calling for new laws to prevent sections of the media "knowingly and relentlessly bullying people, famous or not".

The petition, calling for the introduction of "Caroline's Law", has had more than 500,000 signatures so far.

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Dozens of celebrities, friend and former Love Island contestants have paid tribute to Flack, who had also co-hosted The X Factor and won Strictly Come Dancing in 2014, describing her death as "heartbreaking".

Flack's friend Mollie Grosberg called Flack's death a "massive and painful and heartbreaking loss".

She also shared on Instagram a picture of Flack taken on Friday night, the last time she saw her.

Image copyright Mollie Grosberg

On Sunday, Mr Burton wrote an emotional tribute to Flack on Instagram, promising he would "try [to] make you proud everyday".

"I am so lost for words I am in so much pain I miss you so much I know you felt safe with me you always said I don't think about anything else when I am with you and I was not allowed to be there this time I kept asking and asking," the 27-year-old tennis player wrote.

Flack's management company has criticised the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) for refusing to drop the charge against her, even though Mr Burton said he did not want the case to go ahead.

Bail conditions had stopped Flack having any contact with Mr Burton ahead of her trial next month.

Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Caroline Flack won a British Academy Television Award for Love Island in 2018

The CPS said it would not comment on the specifics of the case but in response to questions about its role, it outlined on Sunday how it reached decisions over whether or not to charge someone.

A statement said: "We do not decide whether a person is guilty of a criminal offence - that is for the jury, judge or magistrate - but we must make the key decision of whether a case should be put before a court."

It said every decision over whether to charge someone is based on the same two-stage test - does the evidence provide a realistic prospect of conviction, and is it in the public interest to prosecute?

That includes asking how serious the offence is, the harm caused to the victim and whether prosecution is a proportionate response.

Former chief prosecutor Nazir Afzal said his impression was that the case had been determined to be a serious case, and one which the CPS felt it should proceed with "regardless of what the victim thought".

Love Island's sixth season and first winter series, which is currently being filmed in South Africa, is due to end on Sunday, 23 February.

On Monday, former Love Island contestants spoke of their feelings on The Victoria Derbyshire Show.

Cally Jane Beech, who was one the show in 2015, said controls on what people say on social media needed to be be put in place.

"There needs to be better protection for people, setting up identification when you open a profile or account, there needs to be some sort of ID attached to it so that you are accountable for what you say to people."

Laura Whitmore had also paid tribute to her "vivacious" and "loving" friend on Sunday.

Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Presenter Laura Whitmore pays tribute to friend Caroline Flack.

Writing on his Instagram story on Monday, former Apprentice candidate and Flack's ex-boyfriend Andrew Brady said: "I love you Caroline Flack and I think I always will."

Responding to reports that the ambulance service was called to Flack's address the day before she was found dead, a London Ambulance spokesperson said: "We were called shortly after 22:30 on 14 February to a residential property in north London.

"Crews attended and, following a clinical assessment, the person was not taken to hospital. Due to patient confidentiality we cannot comment further."

Channel 4 has said it will not broadcast its forthcoming show The Surjury, which was to have been hosted by Flack.

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