The Guardian

Instagram brought us so close to Caroline Flack that her death seems personal | Leah Green

As the line between celebrity and reality continues to blur, the grief we feel is changing too
Caroline Flack last year at the Love Island villa in Mallorca. Photograph: ITV/Rex/Shutterstock

Caroline Flack has become a familiar figure in the lives of fans of Love Island, like me, over the past five years. She was in our living rooms every summer and, for those of us who use social media, on our phones almost every day.

Through Instagram stories, we watched her on nights out, playing with her dog, singing at a piano and celebrating her 40th birthday. I had private thoughts about her boyfriends,

You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.

More from The Guardian

The Guardian8 min read
PinkPantheress: ‘I Don’t Think I’m Very Brandable. I Dress Weird. I’m Shy’
PinkPantheress no longer cares what people think of her. When she released her lo-fi breakout tracks Break it Off and Pain on TikTok in early 2021, aged just 19, she did so anonymously, partly out of fear of being judged. Now, almost three years late
The Guardian4 min read
‘Almost Like Election Night’: Behind The Scenes Of Spotify Wrapped
There’s a flurry of activities inside Spotify’s New York City’s offices in the Financial District. “It’s almost like election night,” Louisa Ferguson, Spotify’s global head of marketing experience says, referring to a bustling newsroom. At the same t
The Guardian6 min readRobotics
Robot Dogs Have Unnerved And Angered The Public. So Why Is This Artist Teaching Them To Paint?
The artist is completely focused, a black oil crayon in her hand as she repeatedly draws a small circle on a vibrant teal canvas. She is unbothered by the three people closely observing her every movement, and doesn’t seem to register my entrance int

Related Books & Audiobooks