Image copyright
AFP
Caroline Flack was found dead at her London flat last weekend
Love Island paid tribute to Caroline Flack as its first winter series drew to a close on Sunday night.
The former host of the show was found dead in her London flat last weekend.
“The past week has been extremely difficult, coming to terms with the loss of our friend and colleague, Caroline,” presenter Laura Whitmore told viewers of the ITV2 programme.
“Caroline loved Love Island. She loved love, and that’s why tonight’s final is dedicated to her.”
She added: “We’re thinking of her family and everyone who knew her at this time.”
The programme then showed a montage of some of Flack’s memorable moments from the series in recent years.
The current islanders were told about Flack’s death off-camera on Saturday, an ITV spokesman confirmed.
Image copyright
ITV
Two episodes of this series were pulled from the schedules last weekend after the presenter was found dead.
The show returned the following Monday with a tribute to Flack from the show’s narrator Iain Stirling.
This has been the first series of the show to take place in winter and be filmed in South Africa.
Previous seasons have been filmed on the Spanish island of Mallorca over the summer.
Overall, the winter series has been a ratings hit for ITV2, albeit not as successful as previous summer series.
This series has been attracting around three million viewers per episode, including via catch-up services, compared with the 4.5 million the last summer series generally attracted.
Laura Whitmore is the show’s current presenter. She joined the show after Flack was charged with assaulting her boyfriend.
Image copyright
EPA
Laura Whitmore pictured at the Brit Awards last week
Siannise Fudge and Luke Trotman are the favourites to win on Sunday.
Earlier this week, the couple became the first islanders of this series to say they loved each other.
During Thursday’s episode, Siannise said: “I’ve always wanted the Prince Charming, I never thought I’d find it but I just knew with you. You are my fairytale.”
Trotman added: “We both care for each other so much. I just think you’re so genuine and I just appreciate you so much, it’s crazy.”
But they face competition from Finley Tapp and Paige Turley, who were the first pair to become an official couple in the villa.
Turley attracted headlines when the series launched in January because she is the ex-boyfriend of singer Lewis Capaldi.
The Scottish star referred to her while accepting the Brit Award for best single earlier this month, for his song Someone You Loved.
“A lot of people think this song is about my ex-girlfriend, who you can now see every night on Love Island,” he said.
“But it’s actually about my grandmother, who sadly passed away a few years ago. I hope ITV don’t contact her to be a on a reality dating show.”
Follow us on Facebook or on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.