S MAGAZINE ★ 26 MAY 2019 25
INTERVIEW
a solicitor and a personal trainer, and while
we might think that by now we have seen it all,
Caroline assures us we’ve seen nothing yet. “The
buzz has started and it’s such a nice buzz. When
I was sitting there watching some of the casting
tapes it made me so excited that I clapped at the
end,” she reveals.
“It’s hard now, because I feel like we’ve seen
everyone on the planet. But we haven’t. Everyone
is different and it’s their backstories that make
them really interesting because then they have
a certain take on their relationships.”
However, the show has come under fire for a
lack of diversity among contestants. Some viewers
feel producers have missed an opportunity to bring
people from a range of ethnicities and of different
body shapes and sizes into Love Island. So will we
be seeing that change in this series?
“I hope so,” replies Caroline. “The only criteria
is that they have to be over 18 and single. The
rest of it is just finding people that are going to
entertain the nation and fall in love.”
There is no denying the tide is turning when
it comes to reality TV shows – particularly Love
Island. Contestants often leave the villa and find
themselves propelled into a life of instant fame,
fortune and lucrative business deals. However,
questions have also been asked about islanders’
aftercare, particularly as two former contestants,
Sophie Gradon and Mike Thalassitis, have since
taken their own lives.
“Since I’ve worked on the show there’s always
been someone that the islanders can talk to
before and there’s always been someone that
they can talk to after,” Caroline explains. “As the
show gets bigger the duty of care has to get
bigger. It’s important to have someone to talk to
in any line of work and in any line of life.
“You’ve got to have someone to talk to about
stuff and as far as I’m concerned and from what
I’ve seen they’ve always had someone to talk to.
The duty of care is really strong on this show.”
And as someone who has had first-hand
experience of being in the spotlight, what advice
would Caroline offer islanders before their lives
are changed forever?
“Don’t pay too much attention to what people
say online,” she says. “I’ve said that since day
dot. It’s hard to ignore them, I understand that
and I appreciate that, but you’ve got to realise
that everyone has an opinion, good or bad.
“Not everyone is always going to be positive.
You can only define yourself through who you areand not through anyone else. Not everyone is
going to like you, but that’s life.”
Caroline has grabbed a fair few headlines of
her own over the years, with her love life often
to the forefront. In the past, she has been
linked to a string of famous men, including
Harry Styles, James Arthur, Andrew Brady and
even Prince Harry.
But it’s clear that Caroline doesn’t pay
much attention to the constant speculation
surrounding her relationships. “I don’t really
know a lot about it,” she insists. “My mum will
phone me up and go, ‘Are you going out with so
and so?’ and I’ll go, ‘No.’ She’ll say, ‘Well I’ve
just read it in the magazine.’”
While Caroline has a tendency to brush off
gossip and stories about her love interests, she
says she understands that it is all part and parcel
of the career she has chosen.
“I can’t work on a show that’s based on people
talking about other people’s relationships and
then moan if people talk about mine. If that’s
the small price I’ve got to pay for having what
I think is the best job in the world then I’ll take it.
I always say that it’s quite ironic that I’m the host
of Love Island to be honest,” she adds, laughing.
When we ask Caroline about her own current
dating situation she responds simply, with, “It’s
good, really good.”
So while her love life would definitely appear
to be on the up, she has some other exciting
events on the horizon this year, including
her milestone 40th birthday in November.
Has she got the wheels in motion for an
extravagant celebration?
“No,” she laughs. “I don’t even know what I’m
having for lunch.”
Although there is no lavish party planned just
yet, Caroline does reveal that she is more than
happy to grow old gracefully.
“I remember being in my twenties and
never getting the jobs that I wanted to get and
then hitting 30 and suddenly things started
happening,” she recalls. “All of my great
relationships have also happened in my thirties
and it’s a privilege to get older.
“I’m getting happier and happier as I get older
because I’m less bothered about everything that
happens or everything that used to annoy me.”
She smiles. “So bring on 80.”The new series of Love Island returns to ITV2
on Monday, June 3.Flack
“I’m getting
happier and
happier as
I get older”
As she prepares to return to Love Island, presenter
Caroline Flack tells us about her own relationships
and reaching the big 40 Words by Chloe Andrews
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