Olly Murs recalls Caroline Flack getting worst abuse on The X Factor and describes hosting show as their ‘downfall’

Olly Murs has recalled the extent of the online abuse he and the late Caroline Flack experienced when they were co-hosts of The X Factor, saying that the torrent of hateful comments she received was ‘awful’.

In February 2020, Caroline took her own life at the age of 40.

Later this month, Channel 4 is releasing a new documentary called Caroline Flack: Her Life and Death, which features interviews with her friends and family about her mental health struggles and the events leading up to her suicide.

In the film, Olly, 36, recollected meeting Caroline for the first time when they became presenters of The Xtra Factor, before they replaced Dermot O’Leary as hosts of the main X Factor show in 2015.

Olly explained in the film that he and Caroline had such ‘chemistry’ that ‘everyone was talking about us as the next Richard and Judy, the next Ant and Dec’.

When it was announced that Olly and Caroline would present The X Factor, Olly said ‘it should’ve been the most experience of our lives but it ended up being probably our downfall really’.

The Voice UK coach outlined how the abuse Caroline encountered online ‘was awful’, with the media and people on social media ‘constantly’ barraging them with hurtful comments.

‘After the first two or three shows, we got it from all angles. This show is good but it’s missing something, it’s missing Dermot,’ Olly said.

‘And all of a sudden you’re boom, beaten up again. That was constant for 10 weeks.’

After just one series, Olly and Caroline found out that their time on The X Factor was coming to an abrupt end.

‘It was an awful experience to know that everyone hated us on the show,’ Olly stated in the documentary.

‘That X Factor experience for both of us was hard. But again, Caroline, God… she got it so much more than me. I don’t know what it was.’

Speaking in the film, Caroline’s mum, Christine Flack, explained that Caroline would be on her phone ‘constantly’, where she would see comments that would cause ‘hurt’ and ‘affect her everyday’.

She and Caroline’s twin sister, Jody, spoke in the film about the mental health struggles Caroline experienced throughout her life, with her loved ones begging her to quit showbiz for the sake of her wellbeing.

Caroline Flack: Her Life and Death is set to air on Wednesday March 17 at 9pm on Channel 4.

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