Entertainment
Love Island star Olivia Attwood over ‘Be kind’ saying as she feels online trolling has only got worse since Caroline Flack’s death
Love Island star Olivia Attwood thinks ‘nothing has changed’ with online trolling and mean comments on social media since Caroline Flack died.
The TV presenter, who hosted the dating programme, took her own life on February 15, 2020 at 40-years-old.
In an Instagram Q&A Olivia, who finished third on the series in 2017 with then-boyfriend Chris Hughes, was asked if ‘anything had changed’ since Caroline died a year ago.
She replied: ‘Trolling and be kind and cancel culture no. If anything it’s even worse than it was.
‘I think cancel culture is at an all time high. I think people online giving their unsolicited advice and opinions are at an all time high.
‘Someone messaged me this morning and said, “Why do you think you can drive all the way across the country you stupid c**t, blah blah blah” and I was like, “What? I haven’t been anywhere.” And then they deleted and was like “Oh sorry wrong person.”
‘You just woke up this morning and thought you have the right to send someone that. Who the f**k are you? Even if I had been across the country who the f**k are you talking to me about it? It’s mental.’
The 26-year-old recalled how Caroline supported her after she left the series and broke up with Chris.
Olivia continued: ‘What jars me as well, especially when it comes to Caroline, it’s like when I left Love Island I was massively unpopular for quite a while and I received, oh my god, so much s**t online.
‘There was media storm after media storm, me and Chris arguing, being pictured with Brad, the onslaught of abuse I’d receive off the back of those stories, and people wouldn’t know the full situation.
‘She would always be the first one texting me, the first one in my Whatsapp like “Liv just ride the wave” and give me all her advice.” I used to think, f**k, how does she do it?
‘I learnt so much from her, then ultimately that is one of the factors that cost her her life. I can’t even…’
In a further post on her Instagram Story she confessed she had ‘grown tired’ of the phrase ‘be kind’ which was used by fans around the time of her death as a way to remember the TV star.
Referring the backlash to social media influencers who have been jetting off to different countries during the pandemic, Olivia said: ‘I don’t disagree with what people think when they see influencers doing things like that. I have grown tired of that whole saying now.’
In the caption she added: ‘It’s a really interesting conversation, I’m so brain dead today I can’t even go there. But deffo one I’ll come back to another day. (sic)
‘There is a line isn’t there between “questioning someone’s actions” and “abusing someone online”.’
On Tuesday it was revealed that ‘Kindness’ hoodies, made in Caroline’s memory, have raised over £50,000 for a mental health charity Samaritans.
Got a story?
If you’ve got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@metro.co.uk, calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we’d love to hear from you.
